Maelstrom 26 The Ties that Bind
by illmatar
Summary: Optimus and Rodimus work out issues left from V. Sigma's manipulation, the Decepticons pay a visit, and another big hole gets blown into Cybertron. Lots of violence, lots of M words and themes. Maelstrom - not for kids or weak stomachs.
1. Chapter 1

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http/ illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART A

After all the worrying and preparations, Arcee's delivery was something like anti-climactic for Springer, even if Metroplex's Med-Lab seemed like a place he'd never been before.

"That's it?" he exclaimed.

"Sure," First Aid said. "What did you expect?" He disconnected numerous cables from Arcee's housing and watched the readouts. The screen read 100% on the schematics transfer for their new sparkling. Solstice was now a blueprint and the fabricating equipment began stirring.

"I'm fine," Arcee said, a bit reproachfully.

"Sorry 'Cee," Springer said, truly shame-faced for a change. "I was just expecting something a bit more...dramatic."

"You've been stationed on Earth too long," First Aid said.

"I for one am glad it's not a messy ordeal like the humans go through! This one has caused me enough drama for one lifetime already!" Arcee cried.

"How's your energon?" First Aid asked, although he keep his optics on Solstice's monitors.

"Low, but not as much as I was expecting," Arcee mused. They all jumped as the machines behind them whirred into action. "I can't wait to see her!"

"Neither can half the known universe," Springer said with a hint of a snarl.

"Don't be angry Springer," Arcee said.

"I can't help it. After all of our pleas and demands for privacy there were STILL reporters trying to follow us in. This is our moment and they tried to butt in and ruin it!"

"They are succeeding in ruining it because you are thinking about them and not our protoform being built before your optics!"

Springer was not a mech known for his diplomacy or tact, but he knew when his mate was right...and gearing up to hurt him. He wrapped his over-sized arms around her and they stood there together, watching. The assembly system didn't offer much of a view, but as various parts were sculpted and welded, they caught glimpses here and there that kept them entranced. First Aid watched just as closely, but from a more technical stand point. All seemed well, and he was glad for that since he wasn't at all sure he'd notice if something was amiss.

The medic watched, and memorized, and hoped if the day ever came that something ever went wrong this first "birth" would be enough to guide him.

The entire process took about 2 hours.

Finally, a short, sturdy little Autobot emerged from the assembly system. About 6 feet in height, and a light golden green, the tiny femme's optics were dark and lifeless. Tubes and wires still wrapped around the protoform. She lay on the creche, waiting for the final phase. Her first dose of energon poured directly into her, bringing her life-functions on-line to receive her consciousness.

Springer's grip on his mate became almost crushing.

Arcee grinned.

At last, after a final systems check, Solstice's pre-programmed personality down-loaded into her body. She sat up with a small gasp.

Arcee rushed over and knelt in front of the new Autobot who looked all around her in open curiosity. Her optics took in Arcee, Springer, First Aid, and her surrounding for a moment before she spoke.

Staring to Arcee's optics she said, "Hello. I'm Solstice. Do I know you?"

Arcee made a sound that was half giggle and half sob. "I'm Arcee, Solstice. I'm your mother."

Solstice cocked her head to one side as if trying to make sense of that. Then she brightened and smiled. "OH! I remember you! You're the one that helped me to hang on when that bad robot tried to kill us! Is Edana here?"

x  
x  
x

Rodimus Prime was fighting a battle with himself and he was losing.

He had a reasonable side. Really. The reasonable side had smart things to say to him. Things like "Optimus Prime has been tampered with for years," and "Op is in med-lab and shouldn't be disturbed," and even, "arguing with an unbalanced mech is a dangerous waste of time."

Nevertheless, the reasonable side was severely out-matched by the not-so reasonable side that was hurt, insulted, and still recovering from being tampered with as well. At least, the reasonable side reasoned, the fully psychotic side wasn't coming out to play. No. That side waited, sullen and patient, waiting for a target to destroy. Any target really...any target at all.

At least Optimus wasn't on that list. Yet.

Really, perhaps it was better just to let the unreasonable side have a good venting before things got out of hand.

So, into Med-Lab like a fire-storm burst Rodimus Prime. The effect would have been better if he could have slammed the door open or kicked it down, but it opened nicely for him as it was designed to, all by itself. No satisfaction in that at all. So he was reduced to looming in the doorway, seething for a moment.

All three of the room's occupants stared at him. Ratchet, semi-translucent and in mid-scan was actually a bit cowed for an instant. He was impressed by that for another instant, having never expected any such thing from an over-grown version of Hot Rod. Then he got down to being Ratchet again.

"Hot Rod! You know better than to barge into Med-Lab without asking first!"

"Rodi? What's wrong?" Elita cried. He didn't answer or look at her, but at her mate whose head she was cradling. The two Primes met optics and pain echoed back and forth between them along the Matrix link.

Optimus didn't consciously realize he was feeling his partner's anguish. He just knew he had done something very wrong in Rodi's view. He waited...knowing whatever it was would come.

Rodimus glared in the doorway, optics as green and luminous as Optimus had ever seen them. One word came grating out of the young Prime's mouth as if it was torn from his soul.

"Basketball?" It was an accusation of the highest order.

Optimus winced, at once guilty and defensive.

"Oh...Rodi you didn't," Elita breathed. "Oh no!"

"Basketball!" Rodimus lashed again.

"Yes," Optimus confessed. He was sorry, but he was angry too.

Rodimus stomped three steps into the room and glared venomously. His hands clenched repeatedly. "You!" he accused. "Basketball!"

"Yes, basketball! Those files were encrypted Rodimus!" Optimus threw back.

Rodimus swept his arm violently across his chest in dismissal of that argument. "You kept that from me!"

Elita tried to intervene, "Rodimus please! Vector Sigma...!"

Rodimus' optic lock on Optimus didn't waver at all. "Sigma has nothing to do with this! You kept this from me since the beginning! You know I was looking for something... for ANYTHING... that would give us common ground Optimus! Anything at all! Something to help us be friends you selfish bastard! Everything I tried fell on its face and you let it! We didn't need Sigma to come between us! YOU came between us! I know you hate me Optimus, but I didn't realize your scorn went all the way back to the beginning."

"Rodimus! It's not that!"

"No? What is it then? What can it possibly be besides contempt so great you felt I wasn't even worth the effort!"

Optimus shuddered in Elita's arms. "Rodimus..." she growled in warning.

Optimus squeezed his mate's fist. "No...no Elita. He's right to be angry...and he has a right to know. Rodimus I'm sorry! I know...I know I shouldn't have held back on you. I...I just wanted a little space...something just for me. Understand? I wasn't trying to push you away! I was selfish and I wanted something that was just...mine. Is that so wrong?"

Rodimus' feelings vacillated. On the one hand, he completely understood. He knew how it felt - to feel like ever second you had - how every thought you had belonged to someone else. Someone else's needs. How they clung, and demanded, and needed, and whined, and criticized. How they insisted on perfection, and demanded forgiveness for their own flaws. It was as if their constant neediness was out to claw you apart. The price of being Chosen was nothing less than your whole life, your whole soul. He understood completely Optimus' private rebellion. One tiny diversion. One tiny percentage of absolutely everything held back just for the sake of having a small piece of unclaimed territory in his life.

Even something as trivial as an obsession with a Terran sport and everything having to do with it.

And yet... Rodimus remembered trying to cajole Optimus into joining him...just for a few hours...just once in a while. An outdoor concert...a party at Blaster's...some simple hang-out time with Magnus or Jazz on the grounds around Metroplex. Even a short drive. He'd tried to guess what Optimus might enjoy and hadn't suggested anything crazy. Nothing. Not once had Optimus accepted or made a counter-offer of his own. Rodimus wasn't an avid follower of any particular sport or league but that was probably because he enjoyed all of them on one level or another. Certainly, if Optimus had suggested catching a game, even if it was a recorded broadcast or an incognito watch on a street-corner, Rodimus would have gone gladly. Really, he would have gone anywhere gladly, even if it had been something he found dreadfully boring.

The assassin Prime stared down at his partner with his lip curled in revulsion. That Optimus' hobby was something he would have actually really enjoyed made the rejection that much more hurtful. Optimus shrank back a bit into Elita's arms and the scans of his brain patterns went wild.

"You are upsetting my patient!" Ratchet snapped, grabbing at Rodimus with the nearest limb. Rodimus didn't even glance at it, but he ripped it from it's moorings and threw it across the room. It clattered to the floor, skidded, and spun slowly to a stop. Before anyone could react Rodi strode forward and got into Op's face-plate.

"I missed Alex's first words and her first steps! She hardly knows me and I wish I was there right now! Is that so wrong? You know the answer. No and yes! No...it is not wrong for people to want space for themselves...but you and I...we don't get that. The lives of our people depend on this partnership and we don't get that!"

Elita fearlessly pushed Rodimus away. "You back off!" she ordered.

Rodimus stood and curled his lip again. "As far apart as we are? How much further do you think I can go?" He bowed sarcastically, using the Sorie flourish, and vanished as abruptly as he came in.

Optimus covered his face with his hands and made a sound suspiciously like a sob. Elita curled her body over him and cried openly.

Ratchet decided to leave them alone and went to reattach his dismembered limb. "Maybe it's a good thing I can't feel anything yet," he muttered to himself.

x  
x  
x

A parsec away Edana looked up from her book, shook her head, and strengthened her shields against the surging emotions she felt from her father through her mother in the next room. She crinkled her brow in consternation.

"Grownups," she said aloud to herself. "They don't get along very well."

x  
x  
x

Cyclonus followed Galvatron back to the dias. His thoughts, usually so frenetic, were stalled. He had so little foothold on what Galvatron would do next, he wasn't even able to contemplate contingencies.

Soundwave met Cyclonus' optics as the Second passed, but neither said a word as Galvatron slammed himself aggressively onto the throne. For hours he pondered there, moving little, saying less. Occasionally the fingers on the armrest would drum fitfully. Twice, glowing gnats of surging energon swarmed around his head, then died.

At some point, Viper showed up, looking peevish. Cyclonus guessed she was annoyed at being left out of the tour of the base. The 'Con second was vindictive enough to hope she would have the nerve to complain about it so he could rightfully discipline her, but she didn't. Her optics took in Galvatron's pensive mood and she simply asked Cyclonus a question with a look. Cyclonus wouldn't have been inclined to answer her, but even if he had been he had no prior experience to judge their Lord's mood. Galvatron didn't even move when Adder coiled in around his feet.

"Energon," Galvatron muttered at last.

"My Lord?" Cyclonus answered.

"Energon is our first priority," Galvatron stated, meeting Cyclonus' optics.

"As always My Lord," Cyclonus agreed cautiously.

Galvatron grinned madly, "Even so, Cyclonus. Perhaps I should be more specific. Uncontested energon is our first priority. Once we have that in abundance, we can fuel our new troops and the weapons they will need."

Behind him, Viper smiled...and for once Cyclonus completely agreed with her.

x  
x  
x

Spike enjoyed himself, and fought to keep a smug smile off his face. Normally there were at least a few reporters or citizens competing to draw his attention as he made his way from place to place. He had more patience for the people who came to ask his help than the reporters, but since Daniel's murder that patience was mostly forced.

Today he didn't need it.

Today he had a scowling continent guarding his flank, and he suddenly felt like Moses as the sea of bodies parted in front of him. Why were there so many today? Oh...right. Rodimus and his audacious trade agreement. Even Spike couldn't deny a bit a grudging respect for the young Prime's coup in that regard. Yes, he nodded to reporters who shouted questions from a highly respectful distance. Yes, it would be good for Earth too.

Daniel would have laughed though...laughed and laughed. Not at the terms, but at the man-handling of the Sorie entourage.

For once, the thought of his son brought Spike profound sorrow, but not rage. Daniel would have celebrated his friend's outrageous behavior as if they were still close. It had apparently never once dawned on Daniel to be bitter, or even annoyed by the fact he rarely saw Rodimus anymore. He simply accepted the circumstances and defended the young Prime against anyone who complained about him.

Spike wondered if that surrender to the inevitable made his son more of a man than he was, and felt grief crawl around in his gut like scampering vermin.

The ambassador kept that off his face too.

Some of the reporters asked about Shellshock, or Lance rather. They wanted to know if he was somehow disrespecting the Autobots by having a human guard.

Spike shook his head and kept walking. The Autobots' protection was blatantly inadequate, but he wasn't about to say that on camera. Let the presence of his new body-guard speak for itself.

x  
x  
x

"Why did you hide that from him Orion?" Elita asked at last. "Every time I think you two are making progress something comes up that sets you back!"

"Maybe we're cursed," Optimus observed unhelpfully.

Elita One sighed and glared down at him a bit.

"I don't know Elita. I have almost talked to him about this more times than I can count. I could tell you I was sort of embarrassed...which is true. I could tell you there were moments I resolved to tell him and then something or another would come up and give me time to think better of it. I don't know. I just didn't."

"Is what he said true? Did he try to coax you out?"

"Of course it's true...and he's right about me balking too. I knew what he was doing Elita, and if I had been cruel enough to suggest something he truly hated, he would have gone anyway, and smiled."

Elita looked down at her mate, thought about how much she loved him and how close she'd just been to losing him. Then she hit him - hard - on his right arm.

"Orion my love, that is just so stupid and...rude...and mean! WHY would you do that to him? On top of the fact that this partnership nearly just self destructed and nearly took our whole planet with it, he's a good kid and he loves you! He is furious with you but that's because you mean so much to him!"

Optimus sighed sadly. "I know. I'm not making excuses but this partnership isn't easy for me either! He was twenty when he took the Matrix and just a few years older when I was revived! He's chaotic, and outrageous, and has so much energon I want to bolt him to the floor! Do you think it was easy for me to adapt to having that for a partner? An equal? Sometimes the way he thinks is so alien to me I feel like we are different species. Humans talk all the time about generation gaps and not understanding their children and I want to laugh! They complain about a few decades. Rodimus and I are separated by millions of years."

"You should have still made an effort! Great Cybertron Orion! He looks up to you like they all do, but the stakes are just a bit higher there aren't they? I know he's young but it isn't like you to look down on someone for that! Why would you be so... disrespectful to him when it is plain to see the Matrix knew exactly what it was doing?"

"I don't look down on him, I just didn't..." Optimus stopped, cutting off what he had to say. She would find his motives unworthy.

Elita's optics narrowed. She stared into her mate with that unflinching, uncompromising insight. Optimus realized he should have known better than to try and hide from her. What Lancer and Rodimus had through an active link, he and Elita had through ages of experience. She might as well read his mind.

"You didn't want him to lose his respect for you," she growled. "You were afraid he'd see too much of you and be into your head...which is, of course, exactly where a real friend would be! YOU were afraid he'd see the real you!"

"I know it was a mistake!"

"No...you don't say!"

"Ariel..."

"Call him back!"

"He takes a long time to calm down."

Elita didn't answer.

"Elita...really...he won't answer me..."

Elita crossed her arms and in spite of his head still resting securely in her lap Optimus sensed that she was somehow turning her back on him. He stared up at her averted face and tried to reach Rodimus through inter-Autobot frequencies.

No response.

"I told you..." Optimus started.

Elita gazed down at him. "He DESERVES more than one lame attempt. You reach him. I don't want to hear you whine about how hard it is...you could have done it years ago when he was reaching back. Now work on it! Not for the partnership! Not for the Autobots! Just for him because he deserves it!"

Optimus tried again...nothing. His third attempt got an audio screeching, punishing blast of feedback that echoed through Med-Lab and made Elita jump.

Ratchet, who had been literally as well as figuratively trying to fade into the background yelped a few Cybertronian curses and then looked embarrassed. He muttered something about "the Prime line" and "temper" and busily got back to pretending he wasn't listening in.

Optimus looked to his mate for mercy and got none whatsoever. He felt miserable. He felt sort of ...crushed...he felt...insulted...a failure...a waste of time. He felt... Nothing of the sort. This was Rodi's turmoil rolling over him. Optimus winced.

The Matrix was throwing that at him as vindictively as Rodimus was sending him feedback.

Great. Even the Matrix was mad at him.

I'm sorry, he thought at it. Then he thought about what he was doing. Maybe he could get that message where it needed to go. His optics flared. I'm sorry! he projected through it.

A huge wave of shock echoed back at him and in the same instant his com lines flared to life.

"Do NOT push that thing at me Optimus!" Rodimus' voice was shrill.

"At least it got you to talk to me. Rodimus I'm sorry! Will you please come back and let me explain?"

There was an over-long pause from the other end.

"Oh this is ridiculous. Rodimus Prime get your over-heated tail-pipe back in here and talk to this high-milage moron!" Elita ordered. "And when that is over *I* have a plan that will force both of you armor-plated gear-heads to resolve your problems!"

x  
x  
x

Springer's head was floating somewhere off his shoulders. He and Arcee had known, in an abstract sort of way, that there would suddenly be this whole new person to deal with and teach and take care of.

It would have been nice if she had let them get used to her a bit before throwing them into a tricky parenting situation. Like... oh... maybe five minutes would have been nice.

Solstice liked to get right down to business. Not even off the assembly line and already throwing her parents for a loop.

Arcee, no surprise, was handling things better than Springer was. Or at least she was faking calm better. She slid up onto the creche and drew the new Autobot into her lap. For a moment she just held their daughter with her optics dimmed.

Solstice allowed that a moment and then stirred restlessly. Arcee drew back a bit and looked at her.

"Solstice...do you really remember what happened?" the femme asked gently.

Solstice tilted her head a bit and looked sad. "I remember being scared. I remember your voice, telling me to hang on over and over. You got quieter and quieter but you never went away. I remember you being afraid for...Springer...too."

"I'm Springer," the burly mech answered in a husky whisper. "I'm your...I'm your father."

"Oh..." Solstice said thoughtfully. Then she smiled. "Arcee loves you very much."

Springer grinned a bit ruefully. "That's good to know." There was no way he was fitting on that little table with his girls, so he knelt in front of them. Solstice leaned forward and touched his optics gently, watching carefully as they dimmed and lit under her small hand.

"I'm glad you can see again," she smiled. Arcee winced, and Springer's mouth fell open. First Aid rescued them from having to find an answer by stepping in to give the new Autobot her first exam.

x  
x  
x

"Who do you want to take with you?" Galvatron asked his lieutenant.

Cyclonus frowned. Was he being tested again? Did he really have a say? If so...who did he want to take?

"Soundwave...Ravage...Laser Beak...and..." Cyclonus paused, thought over his next choice carefully, and said, "Viper and Adder."

Viper's fanged mouth gaped, and Galvatron's optics narrowed to red slivers. Then he smiled.

"As you wish, Cyclonus. Make whatever preparations you see fit and go."

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART B


	2. Chapter 2

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART B

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART A

Rodimus' next arrival in med-lab was the exact opposite of the last. He was cloaked already, knowing his pel-mel dash from Central would cause all kinds of lovely speculation on the airwaves if he was seen. This time he wished the door would open silently as he triggered it manually and slipped inside.

Still, no one appeared to notice the door open and close for no reason. Ratchet was studying scans as if his own life depended on it and Elita and Optimus were staring at each other. The young Prime stood there, invisible and confused.... His affection for Elita was clean and simple. Easy. Easy to admire her. Easy to trust her. When had his respect (go on Rodi...admit it to yourself...hero worship) of Optimus transformed into this tangled mass of contradictions?

"Get over here Rodimus," Elita said, never taking her optics off her mate. Optimus started, clearly surprised, but he said nothing.

Rodimus sighed and de-cloaked, ignoring Ratchet's shocked gasp and the following glare. "I should have known better," Rodi whispered.

"Yes you should...and you have your mate's hard work to thank for it. You are not the only assassin around here any more and that's part of what we need to talk about," Elita said firmly. Her posture was fluid but erect. Her optics flared, and her mouth was firmly set. Rodimus read it as battle readiness.

"Sit down," she ordered....pointing to the table next to Prime's. No...not Prime. Optimus. Rodimus got the sense that right now neither of them were in command.

"I'm getting up Orion," Elita informed her mate. Optimus lifted his body off her lap and moved to lay back down, but she pushed him from behind until he sat up. Optimus sat dejectedly, hands limp in his lap, staring anywhere but Rodi's direction. "Face him," Elita ordered. Optimus flinched and turned his body towards Rodi's table, but he didn't look up.

"If we could afford the public relations mess it would cause I would remove both of you from duty. Neither of you can think straight obviously. What Sigma did to you both is not your fault, but it is still your duty as Primes to fix the problem. Anything you do which perpetuates this from now on IS your fault, and since neither of you seems to be able to get anywhere I am setting the agenda."

She paused, as if waiting for disagreement. Optimus didn't look up, although Rodimus did meet her optics briefly before nodding warily.

"First, we need to get Orion's systems stable. Once we are sure he is sound then both of us are going to learn to morph."

"WHAT?!" Optimus cried.

"NO WAY!" Rodimus roared. So much for capitulation.

"This is not a debate!" Elita stated very calmly. "I need to start helping with your slaver runs Rodimus."

"That's fine. That's what Lancer trained you for," Rodimus said. "Optimus doesn't need to go through it though! Elita, going human is mind-shattering and I think he's had enough of that for one lifetime!"

"He'll be fine!"

"He can't take it!"

"He'll be fine!"

"He will fall completely apart!"

"I am here you know!" Optimus pointed out.

"You're not all there!" Rodimus snapped.

Elita didn't even think about it. Her hand whipped back and cracked Rodimus across the face. The sound echoed. "That's enough!" she said, just as calmly as before. "This is NOT a debate," she repeated, pushing her face into Rodi's and meeting his sullen expression with a commanding glare.

"Optimus needs to get his footing. He needs time to think and rest, and you both know it isn't going to happen in Central! Something will come up. Something always comes up! I know this is a desperate measure but that is exactly the situation we face! His own face is a prison, so we need to change it. The ultimate disguise. If we make him human, he can go anywhere he likes without the media or the Autobots or our enemies hounding him."

"Elita this isn't something you just do on a whim! Jazz went manic for a while, remember? Who knows how Optimus will react!" Rodimus protested.

"Whim?! Whim?! We've got two Matrix bearers who can't even look at each other and you think this is a whim?!" Elita said facetiously.

"I am not a Matrix bearer!" Rodimus responded automatically.

"Nothing can change that Rodimus," Optimus said with sad compassion. "It made that plain to both of us today."

Rodimus glared defiantly and didn't answer, but turned back on Elita. "I'm not accusing you of being frivolous with you're mate's life, Elita. I'm just saying that you don't really know how profoundly shocking being human can be! We are risking another full-scale melt-down!"

"You'll get him through," Elita smiled.

"Me?!"

"Of course. Who else?"

Rodimus shook his head, "I haven't got that far yet because I don't think this is smart! Elita I don't! I'm not just blowing exhaust in your face, I don't! But I think he'd be better off with Magnus or Jazz as a teacher if we do go through with it! He loathes me so much he can't even share the least little thing about himself, being trapped with me trying to teach him how to eat will probably push him right over the edge."

"Rodimus...I don't loathe you! I'm sorry!" Optimus said desperately.

"Don't apologize," Rodimus said. "You can't help how you feel. I'm sorry I'm so stupid I didn't realize earlier. I would have stayed out of your face. My bad."

"The only time I want you out of my face is when you talk like that! Did it ever occur to you I was embarrassed?" Optimus snapped.

Rodimus opened his mouth as if to fire back, paused, cocked his head to one side, and finally said, "No...embarrassed? Why would you be embarrassed? It's basketball... it's not a porn collection. Why would you be ashamed of your own hobby?"

"Because it isn't a hobby. It's an obsession. And I'm not ashamed, I just didn't.... I didn't want to lose face. I was afraid you'd make a joke of it. I was afraid...you'd see me as just...."

"Just another Autobot?" Rodimus hissed. "Just another unfortunate sucker like myself who happened to get stuck with everyone else's problems and a big ass glowing rock?"

Optimus nodded dejectedly.

Rodimus didn't soften. "Didn't you tell me once you wished everyone would see you that way? That these assumptions of super-natural perfection bothered you more than anything?"

"I did...and I meant it."

"But you still left me in the dark," Rodimus pointed out.

"Just because I sometimes wish things were different doesn't mean I'm not used to how things are. I WAS embarrassed Rodimus...I was afraid that if you saw me that way that our partnership would somehow end up on shaky ground. I was pleased with how well we were doing together and I didn't want to rock the boat. Besides, every time you tried to get close there was some stupid notion that I was meant to be alone."

Rodimus straightened. "Sounds like an implant."

Optimus shuddered and watched his own hands resting slack in his lap. "It was...but it was also something I really believed in. I lost Elita...I lost most of my old team. I lost my life. I felt like an intruder in your life. Like my new life was an aberration of the universe and that fate or something would come to erase me like a bit of old data that got accidentally overlooked. Rodi...I sat up so many nights feeling it was wrong I was there. Disconnected and out of place as if I was still a zombie. I think I was finally starting to accept my new life...maybe I could have opened up to you then. But you got taken... you disappeared and I felt more dead than ever. Your pain came to me in slow waves and I knew I couldn't help you. Our people came to me for solace and all I could think of was what a sorry and useless mechanism they were left with. You were dying but I was already dead."

Rodimus winced and hid his optics behind one hand. Elita wrapped her arms loosely around her mate and just stayed with him.

Optimus trembled. "I was happy for you when you were made human because I thought you died, but I was jealous too. When you came back everything about you was different. I was afraid...I was afraid of you. I was worried we might have to do something drastic with you. Strip you of command... lock you up. So no. I didn't feel inclined to tell you about basketball then either."

Rodimus grimaced and nodded. He still frowned but the angry green faded. "So is there anything else I should know about you?" he asked. "IS there a porn collection somewhere for instance?"

Optimus shook his head, "That is the extent of my deep dark secrets Rodi. The porn's all Elita's."

"Oh you liar!" Elita cried, as she pretended to strangle him.

x  
x  
x

Cyclonus took his small team out into space with no fan-fare. The other Decepticons would never know they even left the base. The most difficult part of the preparations was actually getting Adder to transform. Her vehicle mode was a slightly modernized version of the old triangular seeker ships, but she almost never used it.

Cyclonus watched Viper cajoling the insane femme into transforming and had a sudden insight into how he must look handling Galvatron... and how much competition he was dealing with.

Finally Adder shifted into her icicle air-borne mode and they were off. Cyclonus led them into a sparsely populated sector that was a stranger to Decepticon intrusion. Not that it didn't have juicy targets...but it was simply the opposite direction from Cybertron. Cyclonus had offered this area up for assault many times in the past, but Galvatron was simply not capable of consenting. None of the targets were "worthy." Translation - none of the had even a vague tie to the Autobots, and Galvatron's obsession with their foes was overwhelming.

Well...not anymore.

Cyclonus had been given permission to hit an isolated mining outpost in an asteroid belt just a few hours away. Just a skeleton crew of supervisors and their automated mining equipment. Oh...and an automated defense system. If the Cons had launched their typical head-on attack it would have been over in minutes. Instead the cassettes searched the area which was covered by a force field for a weak point.

They searched for hours while Soundwave, Cyclonus and the snakes waited. Finally Laserbeak reported an area where the terrain underwent huge shifts in elevation - stretching the force-field emitters past their optimum tolerances. The large Cons endured the indignity of walking through the rough terrain to remain unseen. The snakes made it look effortless just to be spiteful, Cyc decided. Once there Soundwave used a small, concentrated sonic blast to cut down into the rock along the side of a steep slope. The strained transmitter whined to compensate but the small opening held for a few crucial moments.

Viper and Adder slipped through. The end of Adder's tail cleared by scant millimeters as the field adjusted itself to the new terrain.

Cyclonus smiled grimly. It was just a matter of time now.

x  
x  
x

All revelations aside it was still very tense between the Primes in med-lab and Ratchet tried to remember if he'd ever felt so uncomfortable. He gave up faking occupation and retreated into his crystal. Too bad it didn't matter. Whether or not his tiny, translucent image was being projected, the crystal was where his awareness resided and he was acutely aware of everything they were saying. He observed them with a medic's optic for detail. So very different in some ways...so very much alike in others.

He wondered if the differences or the similarities were what was making this to very hard for both of them. He was pleased to see, however, that even as they went over moments they had both shared, but viewed so differently, that Optimus' vital signs continued to improve.

In fact they improved dramatically as the two Primes fought to clear the air. Oh and it was a fight...as hard fought as Ratchet had ever seen. Sometimes it was against each other, but mostly Ratchet could see them fighting with themselves. Elita stood between them, silent and vigilant, like a referee waiting for a foul.

"I've been through worse in my lifetime than a trip into another form Rodimus," Optimus said cooly.

"You have no basis for comparison," Rodimus snapped. Then he shook his head and looked to the ceiling as if for strength. "Sorry...but you don't."

"I know it's more intense Rodimus but I have in fact been killed, so unless you can top that...." Optimus pointed out.

"I would have been very glad to die when the Jabez had me," Rodimus responded. His hands clenched the table.

"I know, and I know it got worse after you were cut off from the Matrix, but I'd rather die than watch us destroy everything we built! Isn't that my job? Protecting these people with my life? Even if it's protecting them from me?"

Rodimus' jerked and he met Optimus' optics for the first time.  
They stared at each other.

"OK, fine," Rodimus surrendered sourly. "But you are going to have to follow my lead Optimus! You are going to have to work with me on this and I don't want to be accused at every turn of making it hard for you. It is going to be a nightmare. Got that?"

"Yes sir," Optimus said with a faint chuckle. Elita smiled.

x  
x  
x

Viper let her sister proceed her, marveling as she always did at the deranged femmes instincts. Adders white scales should have stood out against the dark soil of the land around them. Motion detectors and cameras were everywhere.

Adder slithered forward, paused, turned quickly here, turned slowly there. Seamlessly and seemingly without thought, the white snake wended her way through crates and equipment. Workers walked back and forth, guiding anti-gravity lifts from the building to the freighter ships parked just outside the doors. Once Adder pulled back for cover, but usually she simply froze right where she was.

The workers grumbled and joked, maintaining a more or less steady pace.

Then one stepped around the sledge they were hiding behind and gasped, orbish eyes growing even wider. Adder's head lashed out once so quickly even Viper wasn't sure the alien had been struck. Zitaxans were a large species - almost the height of an average Transformer, but even so Adder's fangs were probably long enough to simply stab him to death.

His hand hovered over his blaster. He swayed ever so slightly. Two large black blood pools spread over the front of his shirt. Perhaps, if Adder's fangs were merely weapons of impalement he would have needed another strike, but neither of the Decepticon femmes moved again. They simply watched as the alien's ugly fleshy body began sagging in on itself as it dissolved from the inside.

x  
x  
x

"Oh...looky who decided to come back and do his job," Jazz said.

Rodimus' head turned on the specialist like a gun turret, and Kup was very glad the young Prime's optics didn't actually fire lasers.

"First Aid called," Kup said. "Solstice is here, safe and sound. He said he tried to get through to you and Optimus but your communicators were all off." Maybe some good news would keep Rodi from responding to Jazz's bait.

Rodimus softened and smiled slightly. "Is Arcee OK?" He asked.

"She's fine," Kup reported with a grin.

"Is Springer OK?"

"Well, First Aid didn't report he died of shock so I guess he's fine," Kup mused. "We'll just have to see if he makes it."

Rodimus smiled again. Not the laugh Kup was hoping for but at least the green died down. Rodimus stomped silently to the command chair and threw himself down into it. He noted Optimus' forbidden files still open on the monitor and sighed.

"Rodi...what's going on?" Kup asked.

Rodimus bit back a "none of your business" type of response and suddenly just felt tired. It was their business. Their leaders had been tampered with and they had a right to know the state of things.

"Optimus and I just have...a lot of work to do. What Vector Sigma did to him...what it did to us...is going to take a lot more than a handshake and an apology. There are cracks that go all the way to the foundation in this partnership Kup. It is going to take desperate measures to patch it up."

"Is he going to be all right?" Jazz worried.

Rodimus shrugged. "Depends on how you define all right. His vitals and neural net are stable again, but I think he is soul sick. Vector Sigma used him, the Quints used him, even we Autobots used him in ways that crushed who he is. Now he doesn't know who he is, or even who he wants to be. It will be a long time before he sits in this chair again, that's for sure."

"What's with the basketball?" Kup asked.

"It's his....addiction," Rodimus said. He scrolled down through the files and shook his head. Optimus had stats on the players going all the way back to elementary school. The elder Prime really was obsessed - trying to know these human players as well as he knew his own troops and Megatron's troops. It might have been funny, except to Rodimus it showed how Prime's mind was unable to let go. Even this wasn't really a release. He was still plotting, analyzing, and evaluating. This was still war, disguised as a game. No break, ever. Not for Optimus. The time off the partnership had afforded him in the early days before the Jabez had done Optimus no good at all. He was never allowed to use it to relax, so he had just found something else to hang his need to strategize on.

Rodimus felt a sudden surge of anger - again. This time though it wasn't at Optimus. He suffered a vision so clear he knew with resignation it must be a Matrix memory. He saw Optimus sitting in this very chair, lights off, going over facts and notes on these players for hours. All the times Rodimus had been on shift imagining Optimus was enjoying his day off, doing whatever mysterious things Optimus' do, he had been here. Here in this seat working just as hard as he did on duty. Working and working because Vector Sigma had never conceived of two Autobot leaders. Working on something he called a hobby because there wasn't a name for this disease. The Prime disease. The "you aren't really a person you are a job" disease. Like a rat chained to a treadmill, Optimus brain had no choice but to keep running like this all the time. Forced to quit obsessing over his own troops and Megatron's, Optimus had merely found other "troops" and "battles" to chew on.

No wonder death seemed like such pleasant release to him.

Rodimus did his best to explain that to his friends, and finally really agreed with Elita's insistence on making Optimus human if only once. If only for a while. Something had to break this cycle, and if the shock of a whole new body couldn't do it, nothing would.  
Kup swayed. Jazz's optics flared erratically.

"You've got to help him Lad. You've got to," Kup finally said.

"I know. Right now it seems easy. I feel so sorry for him Kup! Right now I just want to help him, but Matrix save us...face to face I can hardly stand him! He can't put two words together in a way that doesn't make me furious. Elita actually smacked me and I deserved it!"

Jazz snorted. "Ain't that the truth."

Rodimus turned on him. "Ya know, while I'm so busy clearing the air around here, would you like me to go into detail about what Viper did to KC? Is that what you want? You want me to take you along for that ride? If it will make you feel better I can pull up the vids from Lancer's Com-eye and show you! Or are you done acting like I didn't do you a huge favor leaving you behind?"

Jazz stiffened. "You're an asshole!"

"Right. Any other news flashes or do you want the video?"

There was a long, long pause.

Finally, Jazz sagged a bit and looked away. "No."

"No what?" Rodimus growled.

"No I don't want to see how she died! Damn you! How can you be right and such a jerk at the same time?"

"I'm fucking talented. Am I forgiven for looking out for you? I am too tired to be patient with any more crap from you. I know you are still grieving, but if you can't quit blaming me for it then go home until you can. I need your help but not like this Jazz!"

Jazz stared at him a bit sullenly for another moment. "Ok. Fine. Have it your way Man."

"Great. Moving right along, what's on the list next?"

"You have a few routine appointments of Optimus', and you might want to announce Solstice's arrival at some point. We also need to work on what to do with the baby-boom we know is coming."

"OK...I can handle all of that, but I want to talk to Springer and Arcee before we do a press conference to see if they're ready and what they want me to say. We need to do some kind of census for folks who are planning and not planning to start families so we can get a better idea of what we're in for there. Now that Arcee is obviously a mommy and not about to die after all, I'm sure more people will decide they want to give it a go. It'll be worse if Solstice is cute." Rodimus paused and leaned back. "OK then. What's on the agenda for tomorrow?"

Kup and Jazz shared a long, "why aren't we surprised" look. Kup pointed to the date on the monitor. "Rodimus...it IS tomorrow."

x  
x  
x  
Cyclonus watched his fellow Decepticon out of the corner of his optics. They had been waiting another hour since Viper and Adder disappeared. While Cyclonus tried to remain outwardly calm he was nervous and impatient, wondering when they'd hear laser fire, alarms, anything. Soundwave, on the other hand, waited so still he might as well have been inanimate. Show off.

"Can you hear anything?" Cyclonus finally cracked.

"Negative," Soundwave responded. He showed no signs of gloating over Cyc's impatience, but Cyclonus was sure he did anyway.

Again they waited.

Finally, the shield dropped without warning.

"Come on in Boys," Viper's voice floated in on both their communicators. "This was so easy it was dull." Viper, of course, gloated openly.

The "boys" flew down to the massive complex and found little obvious destruction besides one small hole along the outer perimeter. It indicated an acid burn let the serpents inside. Viper opened the heavy doors to the loading docks and ushered them in with a flourish.

Here and there among the crate and loading machines hissed puddles of dissolving organic ooze. No questions about what happened to those who ran the place. The smell of it caused Cyclonus a flashback of the first time Viper had tried to seduce him. He remembered in totality the feel of her lithe, beautiful form pressed against him, the immediate lust it inspired, and the horrible smell of rotting flesh that sparked revulsion just as strong. He supposed he was lucky for that. He had been about 2 seconds from a frantic interface with her, and he was certain the finding your way into her coils was a lot easier than finding your way out.

This time though...this time the reek smelled of victory.

"This strike was richer than we hoped," Viper purred, leading them through another door at the back of the shuttle hanger. Before them a sprawling warehouse opened up. Mining equipment, solar energy collectors, machinery of every classification, and an entire arsenal of untouched weaponry. "They never saw us coming. They never fired a shot," Viper went on.

Cyclonus supposed her radiating pride was justified this time. "Well done," he conceded. "Where's Adder?"

"Over there," Viper smiled proudly. "Taking a well deserved break."

Cyclonus turned to find the white coils wrapped around a storage crate. Adder turned at the sound of her name to look at them. There was a crunch and a sickening splat as she did. Blackish purple blood oozed down her wide chin, and an alien's limbs flopped from either side of her mouth. Obviously all the bones had been crushed.

Adder gnawed her new chew toy the rest of the day.

x  
x  
x

"Hey 'Cee," Rodimus cried. "Congrats! I hear you did a good job!"

Arcee smiled at her friend's face on the com-screen, wishing she had only good news for him. Distracted as she was by Solstice she couldn't help but notice how tired he seemed. His smile seemed genuine but his optics were dim.

"Thanks Rodimus. Do you want to meet her?"

"Well, no, not really! I thought I'd just stay in the dark over her," Rodi quipped. "Preserve my image as the village idiot and all."

"You only think you're funny," Springer shouted from the other end of their quarters. He showed Solstice around and noted with some trepidation that she wanted to touch absolutely everything.

"Rodi..." Arcee started.

"You think I'm funny too Springer," Rodimus shouted back even though he couldn't see Arcee's mate.

"Rodi...I have to tell you...."

"In your dreams Rod!" Springer yelled.

"Rodi, about Solstice..." Arcee tried again.

Springer yelped in surprise and a flurry of running feet scrambled towards the com-screen. Arcee rolled her optics. She had tried to warn the young Prime.

"Hi!" Solstice yelled, (louder than she had to) at the screen. She shoved her head up under Arcee's arm and stared into the monitor. The little Autobot and Rodimus Prime studied each other for a moment. Kup and Jazz peeked in over Rodi's shoulder curiously as well.

"Oh we are going to have a bigger boom than we thought," Kup muttered, which Arcee found odd. Jazz nodded vigorously.

Solstice only had optics for Rodimus though. "I know you," she told him proudly. "You are Edana's dad! Will you bring her to see me soon?"

Unseen, but not unheard, Rodimus' fingers crushed through the edge of the desk he sat at.

"We didn't tell her anything Rodimus," Arcee assured him quickly. "She remembers."

"She....remembers?" Rodimus whispered, meeting Arcee's distraught optics. In that moment, both parents knew exactly what the other was feeling. Both their daughters had lost their innocence that day.

"Can she come and see me soon?" Solstice asked. "Please?"

Rodimus grimaced. "No. I'm sorry Solstice. Edana doesn't live on Cybertron with us. She is very far away right now."

"Why?"

Arcee pulled her champagne colored offspring up into her lap again. "Solstice, Edana lives with her mother. You know how Eclipse wanted to hurt you? There are people out there who want to hurt Edana too. If they find out about her they will try to kill her. She is Uncle Rod's daughter, but almost no one knows he has a daughter so she will be safe. She is a secret... a very important secret. Can you do that? Can you remember not to talk about her unless you ask me or dad in private first?"

"It will help keep her safe? Like she kept me safe?" Solstice asked.

"Yes, it will," Arcee said, meeting Rodimus' stunned and fearful optics.

"OK!" Solstice laughed, clapping. "Then we will be even!"

x  
x  
x

"Clearly, I am not suited for this kind of work," Viper said, scrubbing somewhat frantically at grime on her scales.

"Clearly you are suited for whatever work I chose to give you," Cyclonus replied smoothly. He was also soiled, but was glad to be so.

The hold to their own ship was nearly full of energon and materials. Soundwave was producing cube after cube as they drained the facility dry. Adder was in robot form for a change. She needed to be watched carefully. Orders to load the ship didn't phase her as they did her spoiled sister, but she deranged femme picked up everything - including bits of trash, damaged goods, and melted organics. Cyclonus had to assign Ravage to point to what they wanted. It took her a while to respond to the cassette's prompting but other than that, she was a perfect worker. Cyclonus just wished she would drop her chewed up corpse since the juices now ran down everything they let her carry.

A small price to pay for the first good raid the Decepticons had won in years. Cyclonus allowed himself a small moment of satisfaction, and got back to loading without saying a word. Viper stared at him in disgust and resignation. Then she found a small crate and did the same.

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART C


	3. Chapter 3

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART C

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART B

Twenty minutes later, after making sure Solstice really understood what a secret even was, Rodimus shut down the com-link, put both hands over his optics and leaned back so far the chair groaned almost as loud as he did.

"She really gets it, Lad," Kup assured him.

"Kup...there is a completely new, completely unknown little person with Arcee's smile on Springer's big mouth and she knows about my daughters. Aside from the obvious fact that I worry about my ladies every minute of the day, there is the little matter of the fact that Edana is Matrix sensitive. She is the Jabez end-game. If they find her, they have their breeder, we are toast, and Earth is superfluous. Even if they decide to leave the humans around for slave breeding the illusion that people there are free will be unnecessary! Don't expect me to be calm about this!"

"Arcee and Springer will keep her in line," Kup insisted.

"I'm the closest thing you ever had to a kid. Could you always keep my mouth under control?" Rodimus asked.

Kup winced and grinned nervously.

"Right," Rodimus said. He frowned and drummed his fingers on the desk.

"You...you aren't thinking of assassinating her....are you Man?" Jazz asked nervously.

"Of course I am...and Edana too...." Rodimus growled.

x  
x  
x

Spike grinned vindictively. Shellshock piloted the shuttle so the Ambassador turned on the news for the few minutes they had before hitting the jump gate to Earth. There he was with his new body guard, Lance Vortex, man of mystery. All sorts of speculation about where "Lance" came from, how Spike had found him, and whether or not he represented a rift between Spike and the Autobots bounced around the news and the net. This led to even more discussion on the Autobot leadership in general, complete with recaps of Optimus' recent rants, Rodimus' ill-treatment of the media, the riots, Eclipse (seen as an mentally ill Transformer but also as a sign of general discontent,) and even Rodimus' victory over the Sories.

Were the Primes stable? If Rodimus hadn't been partying all the time, why were there no records of where he was? Why was he suddenly at the helm again? Oh...and just where was Optimus the last few days? Where was Ultra Magnus? Innuendo cirrculated that perhaps Rodimus was planning a different kind of coup.

"Try not to enjoy yourself too much Spike," Shellshock's voice rumbled from the pilot's seat.

"Oh...I'm trying. I just can't help it," Spike laughed.

x  
x  
x

"Man if you are serious I'm gonna have to do something drastic," Jazz whispered.

"I'm serious...but I am not going to do it," Rodimus whispered. "I'm a hypocrite. I leave other people's kids to die when rescuing them puts everyone at risk, but I won't go after Arcee's or my own. It's beyond disgusting! I feel guilty for not being willing to murder my own child! I...hate...this...war."

"Of course you do, Lad. But blame those greasy Jabez glitches for it, not yourself!" Kup said.

"If you say so," Rodimus sulked viciously. "And Op wonders why I don't want anything to do with the fucking Matrix!"

"Um... yeah. About the Matrix..." Kup started.

Rodimus glanced up and pinioned the elder bot with his optics.

"Well...I was just wondering what would happen to it if you do teach Optimus to morph."

Rodimus surged to his feet and launched a torrent of cuss words into the air - not really at Kup, but to the universe at large. Kup and Jazz rocked their weight and waited for the stream of disjointed, nonsensical swearing run it's course, but it seemed unlikely to do so.

There was a polite chime at the door which Rodimus completely missed in his fury and then the door opened - revealing Blaster with Chromia in tow.

The two of them simply stood in the doorway listening to the young Prime pollute the air.

Blaster said, loudly "Um...Chromia is here to see you...Sir."

Rodimus' mouth clamped shut.

"She made an appointment yesterday. You approved it," Blaster pointed out a bit nervously.

Chromia also looked nervous. Her arms were simply over-loaded with micro-condensed files and surveys. "If this is a bad time..." she started.

Rodimus' glare erased and was replaced by a warm, and to all appearances completely sincere smile of welcome. "Not at all! I was just reviewing some of the Sories' original terms and they made me a bit upset."

"Oh..." Chromia said, "Remind me never to upset you." She shifted her load uncomfortably.

Rodimus gave Kup a disgusted look to try to snap the stunned expression off the old warrior's face. That failing, Rodi went around the desk and helped Chromia with her stack of materials. Jazz looked embarrassed he forgot to come to the rescue and took the rest. Once heaped on Prime's desk the load of data disks and digipads somehow looked even taller.

"Have a seat," Rodimus said, ushering her into the chair stationed in front of the work area. She still looked a bit frazzled...turning from one of them to the other as if to judge their mood. Jazz relaxed quicker than Kup did, but they did their best to project nothing but professional calm.

Chromia decided to play along.

"OK, Chromia," Rodimus said lightly. "I know we talked briefly yesterday, but I can't remember what you wanted."

"Well," she said, a bit disarmed by his attitude - maybe everything really was alright. "I assumed you would want a report on the our breeding projections."

"You already have a report on breeding projections?" Rodimus asked.

"Well...yes. I figured since I have been in charge of educating the newly activated that I should go ahead and get organized.... Wait! Wasn't I supposed to?"

Rodimus' optics flared bright blue. "Yes, of course you should have! I..um...I am just surprised you are already done!"

"I promise I was thorough Rodimus!" Chromia said. "We did feel a bit rushed and I'm sure you will want more definitive numbers once people make up their minds. We have a survey online but an awful lot of people are waiting to see if Solstice is really on her way. We have compiled a database of definite "yes" and "no" answers, but a huge number fall under maybe. The citizens know to change their answer once they make up their minds.... I hope that is acceptable."

Rodimus nodded wisely, as if he knew exactly what she was talking about.

Chromia relaxed a bit and went on. "We also have preliminary projections on the increase in traffic, energon consumption, and housing redevelopment. I have graphs for how much we will need depending on varying levels of population expansion. Our most conservative estimates indicate we will need at least 10 schools planet-wide for the first generation but that number increases exponentially for the very next wave assuming the first is relatively successful."

"No doubt it will," Rodimus grinned. Kup and Jazz were exchanging bewildered looks behind her back.

"Yes Sir," Chromia agreed. "Computron needs to be commended by the way - he was just invaluable for compiling all of this. He calculates a 32% increase in the numbers of people who will try for offspring when Solstice arrives in good health."

"She arrived over-night," Rodimus told her. "She is not only healthy, she is precocious and just beautiful."

Chromia paused from shuffling data disks around. She and Rodimus shared a long smile. "I would say that we need to up Computron's figures then. I think he understands numbers very well, but I don't think he calculated for 'precocious and beautiful'."

Rodimus chuckled. "No...I think aesthetics eludes that guy. Now... show me everything."

x  
x  
x

"I'm releasing you from Med-Bay," Ratchet said, "But you are to check back with me twice a day until further notice and let me know immediately if anything feels off. Got that?"

Optimus sighed and nodded.

Ratchet wasn't satisfied. "Optimus, you are going to give me your word to take it easy or I am going to hard-wire your aft to this exam table!"

To his consternation both Elita and Optimus laughed.

"It's good to have you back Ratchet!" Elita told him.

x  
x  
x  
About 4 hours after she came in Chromia left feeling tired, a bit over-whelmed, and very much appreciated. Rodimus made it so abundantly clear he was impressed with her hard work, even though there was a mountain left to do. She left with a small smile on her face and a secret glimpse of a still shot of Solstice a few hours before she was to be officially announced. Some might have considered that a small reward for weeks of intensive labor, but Arcee was Chromia's friend too, and the sparkling was a tangible reminder of what Chromia was working so hard for.

She took a small, selfish moment to miss Ironhide. She would never know what he would have said about these times, but she felt strongly that if he had been there, their names would already be on the "yes, definitely" list. Maybe...maybe someday someone else would help her with that.

Hmm...maybe not. In the mean time, she found her current role to be exciting and fulfilling, and she headed off to find Computron and Grapple with renewed energy.

Behind her, as the door to Prime's office closed, Rodimus, Kup, and Jazz shared a round of relieved laughter.

"Oh bless Elita for pulling that femme through!" Rodimus said. "That is the kind of competence we need around here! Sees something that needs doing and just slagging does it!"

"Maybe you should let her take over," Jazz said.

"If the Matrix would speak for her don't think I would hesitate," Rodimus vowed.

"She saved us a ton of time," Kup pointed out unnecessarily, "You should probably use these figures when you introduce Solstice."

"Oh I plan to...they will help me fool people into thinking I know what's going on!" Rodimus smirked. The smug looked faded. "We need to start making arrangements for Optimus right away. He needs to get back in this chair ASAP... so I can get back to killing other people's kids."

"Rod-man...you would put it that way. I'll see to the digs and the ID's. That's my line," Jazz said. "You'll have a place for them, ID's, birth certificates, bank accounts, and all of it by tomorrow."

"Thanks Jazz," Rodimus said. The specialist smiled sadly and left.

x  
x  
x

The raiding party landed far outside the normal territory the Decepticons called their own. Well, certainly they felt the whole planet was theirs but the tracks of their activity marked a distinct zone of cleared roads and repaired structures for around twenty miles around their base. After that signs of their presence dwindled fast. Not that they couldn't or wouldn't go where they pleased. There was simply no reason for them to wander.

Until now.

Normally a triumphant assault meant raucous congratulations from those unlucky enough to be left behind. Even that was competitive, with each Con hoping their feigned enthusiasm would be enough to earn them a spot on the roster for next time. Today, there was only one person there to meet them, the only one that really mattered.

Galvatron waited on the landing zone he had blasted clear with sure sweeps of his cannon. Then he stood there, closer than was prudent, while Soundwave set the ship down. If the Communications specialist had any reservations about hitting their leader as he performed the tricky landing, he never let it show. Instead he silently fought the control sticks. Char's erratic winds made the clunky freighter sway on the way down. Galvatron's cleared landing zone was barely bigger than the ship itself - and he was standing in it.

Cyclonus heard Viper hiss once as a particularly strong gust hit them almost as they touched down. He smiled. Somehow his greater self control seemed a victory - even though he had been startled too.

They filed out, Cyclonus in the lead. Galvatron stood there, his red optics an exact match for Char's seared sky.

"Well?" he asked his second.

Cyclonus handed him a digipad listing their haul.

The Decepticon leader grinned and a small halo of sparks circled for a moment.

"You have done well," Galvatron purred. "Keep this quiet and get all of it unloaded as quickly as possible. If the rest of the riff-raff find out about this they will whine for more energon until I am forced to destroy them. They are weak and soft minded, but that is about to change."

It took them a full sad rotation on Char's wobbly axis for them to unload the freighter by themselves.

Galvatron helped.

When they got back to base Rumble had the nerve to question Soundwave about where they'd all been - surely voicing what was on the minds of most of the others. Galvatron blasted the floor next to the impudent cassette, deliberately missing him by only millimeters, and somehow there were no further questions.

Soundwave appeared not to notice. Instead he took up his post and immediately patched Cybertronian transmissions to the main screens.

The first, overwhelming audio was applause. Rodimus was on camera, beaming triumphantly. Behind him were Springer and Arcee - carrying a brand new Transformer. Rodimus made as if to talk, but then smiled wider and waited while the crowd of reporters and citizens went wild. They stood and clapped, yelled and whistled.

The tiny new Autobot looked a bit distressed and put her greenish hands over her audios. Arcee smiled a bit and helped shield her sparkling's sensors with her hands too. The crowd seemed to suddenly hush, as if to go easy on the new one.

Rodimus took the opportunity. "Cybertron, we have our first born!"

Sensitive audios or not, the crowd roared it's approval.

Soundwave winced, just barely, but Cyclonus noticed.

Springer looked annoyed, and stood protectively at Arcee's back.

Rodimus seemed utterly oblivious to their discomfort. "We need to do a formal introduction," he said with a wink. "Everyone this is Solstice! Solstice...this is everyone!"

If anything the crowd roared even louder. Arcee said something to her offspring and one tiny hand waved at the crowd - only to be replaced firmly on her audio-sensor the next instant.

Rodimus smiled as if the little one was his own, and tried futilely to wave down the crowd. It didn't work but they did eventually seem to run out of noise.

"I'm sure you have millions of questions for our newest citizen," Rodimus told the crowd. "Believe me, I do too! We must be respectful of the fact she is only a two days old and the love and curiosity of an entire planet would overwhelm anyone. In other words, she won't be taking any questions today!" He laughed and the crowd laughed with him, going along with pretending that they really weren't so insensitive as to be planning on hounding a two-day old with questions. Of course they wouldn't have done that.

"Unfortunately, that means it is time to say goodbye to our little lady, and you will just have to settle for me," Rodimus went on. Again the crowd laughed. No...they weren't disappointed with that at all.

"Say goodbye Solstice," Arcee said gently.

"Goodbye! You sure are loud!" Solstice told the crowd with just a touch of annoyance.

The throng laughed and cheered, causing the newling to scowl and clamp her hands up again. Arcee smiled and waved. Springer took his mate by the waist and steered her right off-stage.

"Oh that's just so sweet!" Viper hissed.

"Oh indeed," Galvatron murmured, staring at her. Viper looked over at him and found his attention disturbing. His look was lustful...greedy...and for the first time since she offered herself to him she found it unnerving. The fear aroused her.

On screen, Rodimus was reminding those watching that as thrilled as they were with such a beautiful new life, that Cybertron was not ready for a huge population expansion. He mentioned a survey they were running and said, somewhat sternly, that if too many people were ready to jump in immediately, they would have to impose restrictions until more medical facilities and schools were ready. He reminded the crowd that they only had one assembly system and that femmes were risking their health and even their lives if they began breeding before enough facilities were available.

Then he launched into a long line of statistics. How many had responded they were already interested, how many were waiting to see, projections for the future in everything from energon supplies to foot traffic. He begged the crowd for patience as the command staff scrambled to reorganize their entire futures, calling Solstice "a most inconvenient miracle for not giving them more notice." Again the crowd laughed and went along with his tone of joyous urgency.

"Oh he just plays them," Cyclonus muttered to himself.

"And they let him," Viper answered scornfully. Cyclonus looked at her in surprise. He was used to hate from Decepticons. He was especially used to it aimed at anyone named "Prime", but the toxic emotion in her voice and expression was past anything Cyc had ever heard before. Her optics were pulsing erratically in wild scarlet flares.

She stared at the screen obsessively the entire time Rodimus was on camera, but walked away the instant he finished and the various agencies broke off into analysis. Cyclonus frowned to himself. To him, what the networks (and therefore the population of Cybertron) were making of all of this was the most crucial part.

Most of the networks had a running tally from the online poll - and made much of the falling "maybe" numbers and the rising "Yes!" tally. Cyclonus was glad Soundwave was there to keep track of the figures, because they made his circuits spin. One broadcaster made both Cyc and Galvatron take notice however.

"Well...this seems to be the new direction on Cybertron! Change is coming fast and furious after millions of years of relative stagnation! We have to wonder if this is simply a natural result of this wonderful new discovery or something our radical young Prime is pushing through? Certainly it has his spin on it! Between the Sorie Accord and these bold new initiatives one has to question whether there has been a shake up in Central! It has already been noted that Optimus Prime is conspicuously absent during this time of change, but that also goes for Ultra Magnus. This reporter finds it interesting the two most conservative officers are MIA at this time when their stable influence would be most useful. If this were Earth, we might even fear for their safety as this almost has the feel of a coup on the part of Rodimus Prime... but of course we would never question Rodimus' assertion that Optimus is merely 'on vacation.'"

Cyclonus sneered. "And they accuse us of being devious. If he wanted to accuse Rodimus of getting rid of Optimus and Magnus, a Decepticon would just come out and say so!"

Galvatron grinned wickedly. "Well put Cyclonus. I am wondering though....where are they? I am not so optimistic as to believe Rodimus really got rid of either of those two Autobot simpletons for us, but I wonder. First Rodimus is absent from the spotlight with lies to cover his actions. Now Rodimus is back where we can see him and Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime are nowhere to be found. What are they doing? What can they be working on that requires so much secrecy?"

"I don't know My Lord. I regret that I wasn't able to find out more on my last visit to Cybertron."

"Indeed Cyclonus...but you were the only one smart enough to be looking at all. We must simply try again. I remember...I remember thinking once I understood Optimus Prime very well... as if his very thoughts were known to me. Now I find myself unable to predict anything at all."

"I am sorry My Lord," Cyclonus said placatingly.

Galvatron grinned again. "Why? I like it Cyclonus. It is... thrilling to wonder what happens next. I feel alive again."

x  
x  
x

On Earth, Marissa looked up from mixing formula and frowned at the broadcast.

"You'd better go put in an appearance," she said darkly. Turning to her mate, she found him already up and heading for the door.

"Oh...I plan to put in appearance alright...right at the headquarters for that guy's network!"

Marissa grinned. Daddy was putting on the Major General tones...however. "You don't plan to go in human form do you?" He was grabbing his coat.

His answer, as he put the coat quickly away, was a stream of Cybertronian curses.

Marissa laughed, gave him a kiss, and said "Try not to teach that stuff to our sons. Edana's first word was bad enough thanks!"

Magnus scowled and said, "No promises. I'll be back by tomorrow evening at the latest. I should poke my nose in at Metroplex too to congratulate Springer and Arcee, and remind their troops that just because the City Commanders are preoccupied doesn't mean no one is going to do inspections. Keep them on their toes."

Marissa laughed again. "Go get 'em Big Guy."

Magnus smirked a little, and kissed her and Darren goodbye. He left Kyle alone since he was mercifully sleeping at last, and morphed. Then he cloaked and thundered out of his peaceful paternity leave with annoyance revving up every cylinder.

He made outstanding time.

x  
x  
x

Spike and Shellshock disembarked at the landing pad on the grounds of the new UN building. No reporters allowed here, but there was a small crowd waiting to pester him with questions. Unfortunately they were politicians.

Funny. After all this time, more than half his life, working this job, interacting with them every day, he still didn't think of himself as one of them.

There was Renn Dubose, ambassador from Canada. And Chaz Faust, ambassador from the US, and, and, and.... Renn at least, he was happy to see. Not because he liked politicians, but because she was the most down to earth of the lot of them, and she usually supported the Autobots and made his life easier.

Faust, rude as ever, didn't even let him get down the ramp.

"The president is not happy with the Transformers breeding project."

Oh...now that was a news flash. Spike tried to remember a single instance when a US president was happy about anything. Nope...he's been through three of them and couldn't think of a single time. This issue at least was simple for Spike. All of his conflicted feelings towards the Autobots aside, they were their own species. The US had been treating them like some kind of trained guard dogs for years and Spike was truly sick of that.

Normally he would have found a way to politely remind the ambassador that the Autobots were, in fact, valuable ALLIES, and not part of the US defense structure. However, he had a new agenda of making waves. No time like the present.

"Well, you can tell the President that he can go ahead and tell that to Cybertron himself. If they came to us saying we had enough offspring and weren't allowed to breed anymore there would be immediate war. If he feels like starting one, by all means, let him take the credit. When is he going to get it through his thick skull that they are not under his command and that they are running out of patience with him treating them like bitches?"

Faust's puffy mouth gaped and his round face turned purple. Ambassador Witwicky was often compared to Optimus Prime in his manner of dealing with, and speaking to, other ambassadors. He was regarded as a compromiser and a peacemaker...and was often suspected of being coached by Optimus himself.

Spike smirked openly. That was true, but today he was channeling more of the other Prime's diplomacy.

Renn Dubose's eyebrows rose up under her immaculate chestnut bangs. She had been coaching him for years to be more forceful. Spike hoped she was happy.

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART D


	4. Chapter 4

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART D

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART C

Kup remarked at one point that the next week seemed like what falling into a black hole must be like.

On the one hand, it seemed like they were moving faster and faster. The pace Rodimus set for himself and those around him was enough to make Blurr gripe...and yet the faster they went the less seemed to get done.  
Rodimus pulled dozens of construction crews off other projects to focus on building the clinics and equipment they needed for the next wave of sparklings. He demanded they have twenty production facilities. They gave him fifty in just four day's time.

This he commended, but that followed with further pressure to get the schools and so forth that would be needed up... and... and... and....

And at least the rumors of Rodimus bumping off the other two most senior officers died off when Magnus pulled a surprise inspection on Metroplex and made his presence most uncomfortably known. The new rumors were that he showed up at the door of the network that started the controversy and made his feelings on their angle known as well. Something to the tune of "Accuse my friend of killing me off again and I'm going to make your headquarters my new office just so you can keep tabs on me."

Even Rodimus, crabby as he was, grinned over that one.

Flurries of reports and statistics flooded the command center - only to be supplanted by new figures moments later. Solstice's picture caused a .2 spike in the number of potential breeders every time it aired. It aired often.

Just when Rodimus was complaining that the pace couldn't possibly get any more ridiculous, he got the call he was dreading so much he'd forced himself to forget it was coming.

Ratchet reported Optimus Prime was in as good physical health as could be reasonably expected. That meant they were making the senior Prime into a new-born human ASAP.

Rodimus, in robot mode, felt literally nauseous, which was of course, completely psychosomatic.

The plan, if something so flimsy could be dignified with such a word, was for Rodimus to spend the first, crucial hours with his partner in Rodi's quarters. Then Jazz would take over so Rodimus could attend his shift. Then Rodimus would be back on newbie duty...then Jazz again. Rodimus looked over the insane amount of work he had on top of the more normal insane amount of work Optimus always had, and made mental note to kill anyone who gave him crap about recharging.

Somehow it was easier to dwell on that than the hours cooped up with a humanized Optimus. Or even a non-humanized Optimus.

The last 6 hours of crazed hell flew by in a blink and Rodi ended back up in Med-Bay. All was in order, damn it. Jazz had furnished the clothes and paper-work. The morphing chamber glowed in readiness. Crap. No excuses.

Rodimus felt cut off from reality. There was some kind of pulsing buzz in his brain. He watched himself like an outsider - calmly telling his partner what to expect. He watched himself take the Matrix from Optimus' hand with barely a glance. That it flared in response to his touch wasn't even of interest to the young Prime. Maybe if he failed to take note of it, it would get the hint and start ignoring him. He put it on the counter behind him, guarding it as one would a valuable wallet, but not acknowledging it's greeting. He cheerfully told his partner to break a leg and noted with detachment that Optimus took that more as an insult than a joke. With a scowl he entered the chamber. Rodimus noted the glare carefully - its duration and depth. That it was aimed in his direction seemed somewhat immaterial.

Ah...he was taking note of things. Like how long the needles were...how many times Goldbug screamed... how long he screamed.... Hmm...wrong lab. Get back to watching.

Rodi watched himself take Elita's hand first, and then eventually wrap an arm around her shoulder as she leaned on him. Well. At least he could still do his job.

Elita shuddered in his arms, benefitting from his support even though he wasn't really with her. All of her strength, all of her resolve to push this through, folded as soon as Perceptor threw the wretched Jabez morphing chamber into gear. Optimus' surly, almost numb demeanor transformed into agony they had to witness before the power fluxing around the chamber hid him behind its fury. Once the action was taken she didn't need her resolution anymore and the armor fell - revealing Optimus' terrified mate.

Rodimus dimly felt Optimus' pain and felt it was somehow wrong that he was the one receiving it. Given such a link, Elita would have had some support to give his partner. Rodimus didn't. He withheld nothing...he just had nothing to offer.

Elita quaked and he felt his limbs tighten around her as if of their own accord. It didn't matter that he felt so disconnected. He knew. He knew she was pretty sure Optimus would die. He also knew she thought it would be better for him to die than go on in this Sigma induced hell. She hoped for her mate's healing, but there was a bit of mercy killing in this too should things go wrong.

The 8 minutes or so the process took lasted a lot longer than Rodi's long hours on shift. Somewhere in there a very lost part of him panicked...not for his people, not for himself facing leading them alone, but for the potential loss of someone he cared about. It surprised him a bit, but it was too deeply buried to reach the surface, so he faked nervousness instead.

Perceptor's voice, proclaiming all readings were in the green, came to Rodimus as if from a well, or a slowed down recording. What was next? Oh right. Squeeze Elita once more, morph, grab the robe, and go open Pandora's box. What cloud of evils would be curled up on the floor with one small hope?

There... Ah the usual. Fetal position. Why? Why when none of us were ever a fetus? Muscular...duh. Probably very tall from the mass. Also duh. A faint groan. The voice always stayed the same anyway.

Closer now. Dark, short hair. Almost blue-black. Right. Matched the helmet. How does that work anyway? Shivering violently. No surprise there either. Rodimus knelt and barely touched the shivering man on the shoulder.

Gentle...always have to be gentle. Their nerves are always so raw.

Optimus gasped and Rodimus watched muscle spasms run the length of his body.

"It's me Optimus. I'm here...." Wow. He could talk and everything. Rodimus was impressed with himself. At the back of his mind he felt his mate pushing at him. Was he having another psychotic episode? No...well...maybe. Did it matter if he was successfully faking functioning?

The man on the floor snapped his head up to look at him. Bright, bright Autobot blue eyes. Definitely Optimus' eyes. Wise, haunted, the only part of his face the rest of them ever encountered. What did the man see? Were Rodi's own eyes blue right now? Or green? The rest of the features Rodimus would never have placed - he had never really seen them before.

Analysis was all Rodimus could seem to manage at the moment. The faint pain and confusion on the face he was studying were past his ability to connect with, except to decide they were within the realm of normal and tolerable and therefore of no real concern. The man before him had perfectly regular features as all humanized Transformers did. Handsome, somewhat aristocratic, strong.

Rodimus saw nothing of the resemblance others would remark on later.

Age? Indistinguishable. Not young certainly, but showing no real signs of age either. Rodimus wondered vaguely if that would happen to his own face if he lived long enough. If he even kept going human after Lancer left him alone. He tried not to dwell on it, but it was something his robot sensors couldn't ignore. Rodimus was just under two years older than his mate, and when they first got together their faces reflected that. Now, if you asked a stranger, they would have said Lancer was older. Her face was thinner. Wrinkles lingered here and there after her expressions passed. His own face was unchanged.

Optimus stared back at him while his mind led him along these odd paths. The elder Prime might be ageless, but he did look very tired.

Neither said anything. What a long look they exchanged. Clearly, they were both mad at this moment.

Rodimus finally helped his partner stand and wrapped the robe around him. The shivering didn't slow down. Optimus made a tall human, as Rodimus had suspected. About 6' 5". A few inches taller than Rodimus...a few shorter than Magnus. Just like their robot forms stacked up. Why was that? Why did Jazz make the shortest of all of them, and Magnus the tallest when they were shifting from one substance to another? Where did that leave Shellshock - who had been diminutive as a Transformer but was without a doubt the largest human Rodimus had ever seen?

Why was he dwelling on all of this now?

Rodimus led Optimus out one quaking step at a time. Magnus had come out complaining. Jazz had laughed even as he shivered. Optimus was quiet - introspective. He stared at Rodi's fingers where they clasped his powerful arms to help support him.

For some reason, Rodimus took that as criticism, but he kept that to himself. Time suddenly resumed a more normal pace.

Elita rushed over to them and sat down on her knees, smiling and sobbing all at once.

Rodimus felt her mate start a little, as if her huge moving mass frightened him, but he recovered.

Optimus looked up, forced himself to stop quaking, and addressed his mate with a reassuring smile. "Well? You wanted this. How do I look?"

"You are alive, walking, and talking in real words Orion, that means you look great to me!" Elita One laughed.

"Are you still in pain?" Rodimus wanted to know.

His partner looked at him and frowned a bit, as if analyzing the question. Rodimus felt a part of himself want to get offended but he squashed that,

"I...I don't think so," Optimus said. The crystalline eyes turned inward. "I don't think so. I am just very cold and it seems almost like pain."

Rodimus nodded. "We'll get your measurements and Jazz will have real clothes for you by the time he shows up to watch you. The quicker First Aid can check you out the sooner we can get you back to my place. You'll be more comfortable there."

Optimus nodded and stepped onto First Aid's out-stretched hand. He did better than Magnus at keeping his balance, but not as well as Jazz. First Aid ran the usual tests, but it was Rodimus Elita questioned with her optics.

He smiled at her and meant it. Why? Why was it so easy to give her real reassurance that her mate was fine?

In less than an hour First Aid was done and Rodimus morphed back into robot mode. Then he transformed and opened the driver's side door to his cab.

Optimus made some kind of unreadable expression and climbed awkwardly up into his partner. He leaned forward and looked all around himself in open curiosity. Rodimus felt oddly...exposed... and activated the seatbelt, cinching his partner back a bit forcefully.

"UFF! Hey!" Optimus complained. "I was just having a look - things seem really different down here!"

"Safety first," Rodimus answered. No sarcasm at all.

"BOYS!" Elita snapped.

"What?" they asked in unison.

Elita placed one hand on Rodi's hood, leaning forward to glare at her mate and the truck he rode in. "Try not to kill each other please."

"We'll make it Elita," Optimus assured her.

"You sure know how to take the fun out of things," Rodimus said at the same instant. Matrix save us! Was Optimus actually laughing? Maybe there was some hope after all. He cloaked and drove for home.

First Aid and Ratchet exchanged a long look. Elita stared after the Primes as they left, even though Rodimus disappeared before the threshold. Then she sagged - her posture drooping dejectedly.

"This has to work," she said to no one in particular.

"I'm really worried they may try to kill each other," First Aid whispered. "Are you sure we should leave them alone? Optimus was delusional a few days ago, Rodimus had a psychotic event last week...really! We are leaving two crazy people alone together and hoping they will somehow make each other better!"

"You pick now to put it that way," Ratchet groused.

"It will be OK," Elita said.

"How do you know? Faith and optimism can only go so far," Ratchet stated.

"Nonsense. Faith and optimism are paramount," Elita said, "but they aren't really unsupervised and Lancer has promised to call the instant she senses things are getting out of hand."

"Well, that's good to know, but we need to call them back," Ratchet said gruffly.

"Why?"

"Because Rodimus left the Matrix sitting on the counter," Ratchet explained, pointing.

x  
x  
x

By the time they got to Rodi's quarters Optimus had run out of things to say about the abandoned Matrix. His partner wasn't speaking to him at the moment, but Optimus felt the silence was worth the victory of getting Rodimus to put it in his chest for the drive home, rather than on the passenger's seat where he wanted it. Optimus was pretty sure part of Rodi's silence was concentration on keeping his mind shielded from the crystal.

Optimus did regret his use of the word "silly" in pointing out the Matrix could touch Rodimus from across vast reaches of space so the physical contact was hardly an issue.

The drive to Rodimus' quarters took forever for Rodimus, and no time at all for Optimus. Air curled into the branches of his lungs cool and clear, returned out warm and moist. He spent the drive with his fingertips barely touching the armrest. The vibration from the road and Rodimus' over-driven engine caught the senior Prime off guard with its intensity. If there was anything an Autobot should be used to, the feel of Cybertron's smooth roads should be top of the list, but in this state Optimus felt himself newly activated again.

They arrived, paused a moment for foot traffic to clear, and then Rodi's cloaked vehicle mode pulled into his home. Optimus looked around himself curiously and sighed as he got clumsily out of the cab. Things did look different from this height, and oo this breathing business was distracting, but as far as he could tell these quarters hadn't changed an iota in the years it had been since he'd been here last.

Suddenly saddened, he realized it had been before Rodi's torture since he'd seen this room. Not friends...not at all. And how unlike anything of Rodi's to remain static. Same furniture. Same posters. Once upon a time Magnus had come in complaining Hot Rod's rooms were arranged differently every time there were inspections. They always passed, but the City Commander suspected there was some kind of contraband or duplicity being hidden. Optimus had laughed and said something about a restless intelligence.

"Your place...is the same," Optimus commented, trying to fish diplomatically.

"This isn't my place," Rodimus said. "Come on." He led Optimus into the back, passed the recharging flat, passed two Conversion scans, and then into Rodimus' hidden rooms.

"Ah....I forgot," the Senior Prime said. The rooms opened up before them revealing a disaster area of epic proportions. Optimus quirked one dark eyebrow at his still robotic partner.

"Say one word and I'll step on you," Rodimus said, forcing a faint smile.

"You'll answer to Elita," Optimus reminded him.

"I'll convince her it was an accident," Rodimus averred.

"No you won't!" Optimus chuckled. "Really...your cleaning crew needs some shaking up."

"You are looking at the cleaning crew," Rodimus stated. "And he has other priorities."

"Great Cybertron Rodimus...I forgot they can't come in here! That's so basic and obvious. I really can not place my mind into your life at all! I was just wondering why the other section never changed. My mind is full of holes! How can we do this if I can't even think?"

"We are going to have to work on it. I'm fighting too! Everything you say rubs me the wrong way. You comment that breathing is annoying you and I feel like you are putting me down! Stupid. I know it's stupid and I can't help it."

"It is wrong you have to live like this," Optimus said. "I haven't had to clean my own quarters since I was revived."

"It doesn't bother me that much, I just don't have much time for it."

Optimus looked around. "I've never been in here," he said, as though in confession.

"Well, as you can see, it's a real spectacle. I hope it was worth the wait!" Rodimus snorted. He looked around, shrugged to himself, and picked up his cluttered, human-sized table. Somehow he balanced the heaps of digipads that teetered there all the way up to his Transformer sized desk, which sported its own towers of work. The whole mess got unceremoniously dumped onto the desk. Ominous sounds caused Optimus to skittle hastily off to one side, but miraculously nothing avalanched to the floor.

Rodimus' optics flared a bit and his jaw worked as if words were burning his mouth like acid. Optimus knew that his simple and understandable concern that things would fall off of Rodi's desk had somehow insulted his partner. He also knew arguing about it would only make matters worse.

The young Prime set the table back down with a bit of force and removed the Matrix from his chest. He put it on the table, morphed, and glared at Optimus as if daring him to say something.

Optimus Prime looked from his most sacred possession to his partner and decided to bite his tongue. The Matrix was as safe here as it would ever be, and right now any increase in tension was counter-productive. He resolved to keep a quiet eye on the Matrix and to save his fight with Rodimus' paranoia about it until after they were on firmer ground.

Better stick to the accommodations. A safe enough subject hopefully. "Actually I find this perspective very interesting. I made a point to study human cultures but first hand experience is always better."

Rodimus smiled grudgingly. "At least you made an effort. I had to explain and justify absolutely everything to Magnus."

Optimus' eyes twinkled. "I just bet. What about Jazz?"

"Jazz's problem was he thought he knew everything already," Rodimus said.

"Ah, I will try not to be too much trouble, Rodi. This couldn't have been worse timing and I know it."

Rodimus sighed. "It's not the timing Optimus. You know how you didn't want me in your basketball 'cause that's your sanctuary? This is mine...it's where my family comes when I get to see them and I only want people I really trust in here."

"And you don't trust me."

"No. I know it isn't your fault, but you've been stabbing at the heart of me the last few years and here you are past all the armor. I am as scared as I was with the Jabez looking into my body."

Optimus frowned, angry at the accusation. "I am NOT out to hurt you Rodimus!"

"That doesn't change a fucking thing," Rodimus sneered.

Optimus' hands balled into fists. Rodimus ducked his head and glared. It might have come to blows right there and then, but Rodi's com lines flared on and Elita's voice flooded the small apartment.

"Orion!" she roared.

At the same instant, Rodimus got a wordless head-full of his mate's irritation - including a very vivid image of his eldest daughter. Edana was asleep, but it looked like she had gone to war with her sheets. She stirred fitfully and muttered to her father as she dreamt.

Guilt was like ice water in Rodi's veins. He blanched and sat down abruptly.

Optimus didn't need anything so drastic to calm him down, but he guessed Rodimus was hearing from Lancer. "Is your mate speaking her mind right now?"

Rodimus nodded, not meeting Optimus' gaze. "I'm leaking through to Edana," he whispered. "Come on...I'll give you a tour and then we'll get started."

The next eight hours were a study in extremes, high and lows, and a test of both their wills.

If asked to rate Optimus' first hours as a human objectively, Rodimus would have been forced to admit his partner was the easiest of the three students he had seen through this process. He was far less judgmental and argumentative than Magnus, far less over-stimulated and hyper than Jazz. Optimus interacted with his environment through his fingertips - touching everything seemed to help him adjust. The textures of everything from the counter-tops to the fabric of his robe engrossed him. His questions were always thoughtful, and Rodimus could tell the Senior Prime had truly studied the human race for years. Everything he asked was aimed at understanding something he couldn't be expected to resolve on his own, rather than the challenge Magnus had aimed at everything.

It was also obvious to Rodimus that Optimus was actually having a lot of fun in spite of the tension between them. He told Rodimus it was just the joy of having first-hand experience - of being able to see and feel things he thought he would never understand. Rodimus wondered though, if Optimus' brain was also just enjoying running on a new set of pathways, rather than the constant grind of his Sigma enforced obsessions.

He was a model student - learning to use this new body with no apparent embarrassment and following Rodimus' instructions to the letter.

Op's enjoyment made the day doable. He ate his first applesauce with pleasure and impeccable manners, further confirming to his partner that Optimus had made note of everything the humans around them did. Water running over his hands as they washed up after the meal entranced him, as did the suds. He played in the dish soap until they were gone, and turned to find his partner sitting down looking both amused and impatient. He bounced a bit trying out the couch, and laughed when he found some of the kids' toys wedged in the cushions.

It still wasn't easy. They fought for things to say even though Optimus had questions at every turn.

He made much of the photos Rodimus had tacked erratically around the room - most weren't even framed. Each one was examined carefully by eye and fingertip. Rodi's skin tone went from white to red and back again more times than Optimus could count while they went over them. Lots of Edana from the time she first joined them to present. Photos of Alex were not as numerous, but they were catching up. One that was framed was a black and white picture of Lancer. She had circles around her eyes, disheveled hair, and an extremely surly expression that glared at the camera. She also had a brand new baby in her arms.

Optimus looked at the photo and laughed. "Oh my, I don't think I'd hang that face on my wall. She looks ready to kill the photographer. Was that you?"

"Of course. That's about two minutes after Alex was born. Lancer was  
not feeling photogenic at that moment," Rodimus smiled. "I don't care if she's a mess. That's my favorite picture."

"I understand," Optimus said, running his hands along the frame. "Solstice is beautiful, but these two will always be our real first born." He smiled at his partner and was surprised to see Rodi's face looking vacant and angry. "What's wrong? Did I say something again?" He couldn't help sounding annoyed - he wasn't trying to be rude!

"No...no it's not you. I love this photo. I'm glad I was there to see Alex born, but I always feel guilty looking at it too."

"Why?"

"Because I walked away from a mission I was planning when Lancer went into labor. I lost a chance to go after a slaving vessel that day. I got them the next day, but it was too late for the victims by then. I paid for that moment with 15 lives."

That statement caused a cascade of emotions in the elder Autobot. Horror at the deaths. Horror that Rodimus would view the simple act of being there for the birth of his child as a count of murders. Anger at himself and the council for not realizing in spite of Vector Sigma's interference, and anger at Rodimus and Lancer for not asking for help. Someone else should have been there to stand in for him. Of course, the real anger should have been aimed at the slavers, but Optimus settled on the immediate target.

"I am so frustrated with this stupid attitude of yours! Stop it! You can't save them all! When are you going to stop PERSONALLY trying to fix the whole universe by yourself? Where was your head?! WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK FOR HELP?"

"Maybe if I had anyone worth asking I would have!" Rodimus snarled derisively.

The picture frame in Optimus' hands broke and suddenly it seemed like there was blood everywhere. The glass broke and the photo bent, but it was the frame that cut deep into Optimus' new flesh. "Ouch! By the Matrix! Rodimus I'm sorry!" The pain was amazing, but it was the photo Optimus was worried about.

Rodimus said nothing. His eyes were assassin green, but he took the violated frame out of Optimus' bleeding hands and grabbed the Senior Prime by the arm. Optimus was stunned, as they all were, by the intensity of the pain he was in. Not the worst he'd ever felt surely, but near enough to render him mute with amazement.

Rodimus firmly steered him into the kitchen, shoved the wounded hands under the faucet, and turned on the water.

"Ow! That makes it worse!" Optimus protested.

"Shut up and deal," Rodimus ordered. His grip on Optimus' hands was unrelenting when Optimus instinctively tried to pull away. Optimus quit fighting, even through Rodimus' thorough soaping of his cuts. Angry as the young Prime obviously was, his hands were deliberately controlled. He was doing what he needed to do and nothing more, for all that Optimus wanted to accuse him of being sadistic.

Fighting both the pain and his own emotions the whole time, Optimus forced himself to submit to Rodi's care. The fact they both heard and ignored the sound of the com-line activating probably didn't hurt either. Elita was silent, but listening in.

Rodimus sat Op down at the table, inspected both hands and then put pressure on the left. "Any deeper and you'd need a doctor," he told his partner. Optimus' left palm was sliced from the juncture between his thumb and forefinger to almost his palm. "Nice job." To the air he said, "He'll be fine Elita. You can quit freaking now." The faint hiss from the com-line cut off without a response.

"Can you repair it?" Optimus asked tightly. It really was distressingly painful.

"No. I can seal it up, but it will take a good while to heal," Rodimus said. Focusing on the wounds was almost a relief. They gave him something to think about other than how much he loved and hated this person. "Press your hands together."

"That'll make them hurt more! And I meant the photograph."

"Press! It will make them stop bleeding and if you don't follow orders I'm gonna kill you before I can stop myself! I need to get the first aid kit and you need your blood on the inside!"

"I'm sorry," Optimus said again - feeling that he'd said that a million times too many lately.

"Don't worry about the fucking photograph Optimus! I can print it again and Jazz can pick me up another piece of crap frame later. Just put pressure on that cut already! Even when you piss me off you mean more to me than a piece of paper you know!"

Optimus winced. Accusation and hurt. Why was he the one who seemed to be reacting less when Rodimus supposedly had the least implants?

Rodimus left him sitting there a moment and came back with his medical kit. He dumped it's contents out on the table and worked with the thoughtless assurance of someone with lots of practice. Disinfectant...pain killer...skin glue... bandage.... wrapping...all swiftly and neatly applied so that Optimus was almost annoyed he didn't get to really absorb the process. The right hand followed, without the skin glue and the large wrapping.

"This really is a phenomenal amount of sensation for a minor wound," Optimus observed. "It makes me respect our human friends even more, especially ones like Marissa and Spike who fight with us willingly."

Rodimus grunted and muttered something to himself about asking Jazz to pick up more skin glue.

"No wonder you went mad," Optimus said quietly.

"You know when dealing with a crazy person it is probably not wise to keep bringing up what made them crazy in the first place," Rodimus growled. "Especially when you yourself are doing such a good job of it on your own!"

"I'm just sympathizing!" Optimus cried defensively.

"Well stop sympathizing! I don't want your pity! Why don't we try talking about deep issues when I can show you around my place without us almost killing each other! Let's just keep it nice and shallow around here till then!"

They stared at each other.

They stared at each other.

The very faintest crinkle creased the corners of Op's eyes.

Rodimus arched one eyebrow.

They stared at each other.

Then they both completely cracked up.

"I don't have a clue where to start," Optimus finally wheezed. "By the Matrix this breathing is just so difficult!"

"Wait till you try real food," Rodimus said. "You are having more applesauce and maybe macaroni and cheese for dinner."

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART E


	5. Chapter 5

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART E

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART D

Earth:

Ambassador Witwicky lounged at his over-sized, over-shiny, over-expensive ocean-liner of a desk causing trouble.

"No I don't intend to push through the latest Autobot security requirements at all, Mr. President," Spike said into the com, grinning wickedly and glad the man couldn't see him. "I intend to push through my own! They are much stricter. The Autobots are much too complacent...."

Shellshock's lips curled up in what might have been a sneer or merely a grimace of concentration. He stood on Spike's never-used librarian's ladder. Spike's UN office was full to the ceiling on one side with a wall to wall book shelf of venerable old tomes. They were most impressive, utterly unread, and so full of listening devices Shellshock wondered if the spies had some kind of code of professional courtesy that allowed them to share space. Robert had scanned the room with the Maelstrom and took over the lot of them. State of the art listening devices were no match for the Sigma Beta. A few tenths of a second and Robert was tracing the signals back to their various receivers.

It was no surprise that two of them reported back to the US government. One went back to the CIA, the other to the Pentagon. That left four they were still working on. Shellshock was attempting to memorize their locations so they wouldn't be disturbed when his own bugs and security measures were installed. As soon as they knew who they were reporting to, Spike and Shock would decide which to "discover" and cause a fuss over.

In the mean time, Spike did a fabulous impression of an outraged and somewhat irrational parent, over-reacting to the death of his son at the hands of drug smugglers. Shellshock grimaced again - even the President was waffling in the face of Spike's tragedy, but the former Autobot was still uncomfortable with Spike's willingness to weaponize it. No...that wasn't right. Shellshock had shown Spike how to weaponize it. The problem was not Spike's enthusiasm, it was the fact that in using his grief, he had lost sight of it.

x  
x  
x

Elsewhere in the UN building, a firm voice whispered "Cut the transmission. We're being traced!"

Another, less authoritarian voice responded, "There's no change in the signal! This line is untraceable even if they found the bug!"

"Fool! Do it! I have an instinct for these things! We are about to be discovered."

"But!"

The dissenter choked, foamed, and died where he sat. The other party cut power to the bug and made a call on a matrix fueled communicator. They explained what happened calmly to the voice on the other end.

"Yes....yes I understand. No, I don't see any immediate threat to your breeding program and I think we are safer leaving the current Ambassador in place. The devil you know..... I can handle him. .... I can handle him! Convert shipments might have to be re-routed that's all. No. No I don't think there will be an over-all disruption in the supplies. Of course....of course...never fear. If the Ambassador becomes disruptive I will see to him myself."

x  
x  
x

Cybertron:

They got through dinner with little drama, although Rodimus did express annoyance that Optimus found it interesting rather than disgusting. Even the way the macaroni frequently sprang off the fork by itself challenged him rather than annoyed him.

He grinned. "Tougher than it looks, isn't it?"

Rodimus rolled his eyes and nodded - eating his own tiny portion grudgingly and with no pleasure. The elder Prime wondered if that was truly a result of Rodi's violent introduction to food or if it was just some stubborn rebelliousness on Rodi's part that refused to surrender even now.

What Optimus did find it annoying that his precious Matrix sat on the table in front of them like some kind of vastly over-sized center-piece. Touching it with his sensitive new fingertips, Optimus decided his awareness of it was not much different. It was perhaps a bit muffled, but he could feel it's pulse if he "listened" for it. He wanted to ask Rodimus if he could feel it too, but knew that was far out of bounds of "shallow" conversation. If the crystal was feeling at all disrespected about sitting on the table it didn't share that. It's emotional tone was peaceful...almost soothing. Maybe it was trying to help them cope. Maybe it was pleased they were trying so awkwardly to heal themselves at last.

Optimus decided that was it. It just seemed right. As far as the Matrix was concerned, the goal of fixing the terrible rift between it's bearers was easily worth the indignity of sitting on Rodi's table like the rest of the clutter.

Between that reassurance and the real pleasure at trying a new form of nourishment, Optimus was able to stick to suitably shallow subjects like apples and cheese. Then they finished the tour of the tiny, secretive dwelling. When they got as far as the un-made bed Rodimus even managed not to brindle when Optimus expressed surprise that the young Prime collapsed into his human bed and slept nearly as often as he landed on his re-charger.

"It all depends on what form I'm in when I come home," Rodimus said, by way of explanation. He forced a smile. Yeah... this is normal.

Optimus shook his head slowly. "I'm not being critical. It just never dawned on me how huge a part of your life this is. For me, this is like a vacation. I'm learning. I'm exploring this culture in a way I never could. It's an adventure, but for you it's part of who you are."

"If you say so," Rodimus said.

Aside from that moment of understanding, the rest of the night was just hell. There were no more explosions, but only because everything they said was edited three times before either spoke, and analyzed three times before either responded sounding hurt, angry, or sarcastic.

"I'm exhausted!" Optimus confessed, about an hour after their simple meal. He sat down on the couch and made note of how his muscles let him fall onto it of their own volition, rather than the controlled and dignified trip down he expected. "Is that normal for the first night or is it just me fighting my own mouth?"

"Both," Rodimus whispered "For what it's worth, I'm tired too."

"After the shift you pulled you should be anyway. I don't understand why this is so hard. I am not like this! I am not verbally abusive to anyone, and yet I have to lock my mouth closed and take out all kinds of filth before each sentence comes out. It's like a separate voice in my head that wants everything to be hurtful. I didn't know I was capable of such constant cruelty."

"That's Vector Sigma, Prime, not you," Rodimus sighed.

"Then I should be able get past it already," Optimus averred. "I want to snap my fingers and have it banished like it should be. Being your friend should be what's easy. I'm tired of having to censor myself."

"Maybe you should try sleeping if you're tired," Rodimus suggested. "It will give me a chance to rest a bit too. I'll go change the sheets for you and then you can lie down." Optimus nodded and Rodi left the room with long strides. Optimus struggled not to read that as glee to escape his presence... besides... he really didn't need to go anywhere to lie down did he?

Rodimus fussed quickly in the bedroom. He stripped the bed, balled up the sweat-stained linens, and threw fresh ones on with a practiced ease that came entirely from his mate. He only paused once, staring with a bit of consternation at an assassin's needle that was tangled up in the covers. Lancer would give him hell about going to sleep in his uniform without taking out the weapons. Especially the poisoned weapons.

Good thing she was distracted right now and didn't notice.

Stepping back out into the livingroom Rodi's eyes grew cold and hard for a moment. He could have skipped bothering with the sheets. Optimus Prime, legendary Autobot leader, was sound asleep on Rodi's couch fully clothed. Well - they had some things in common anyway. Op's head was thrown back at an awkward angle, and he was snoring and drooling slightly.

Rodimus was furious for a moment. Why had he bothered to make the bed? He didn't need his mate's resigned mental poking to tell him he was being stupid and irrational though. Optimus looked pale and drawn - signs neither Magnus nor Jazz had presented on their first day human, and Rodimus knew he should be grateful Optimus just dropped off. Magnus had demanded instructions, and Jazz had been so hyper that he didn't sleep for a full 48 hours after going human...forcing Rodimus to stay awake with him to keep him out of trouble.

It was suddenly easier to feel compassion for his friend once those eerie, insightful blue eyes were off him. Actually...it was sort of funny seeing Optimus flopped like a boned fish in his livingroom. Smiling slightly to himself, Rodimus got a pillow from under Op's feet and put it under his head, telling himself he was only doing it to spare himself Op's complaints if he woke up in knots. Rodi grabbed a blanket and threw it over the sleeping senior, and made note none of it disturbed the elder Prime even though these sensations would be totally alien to him.

Checking the time, Rodimus saw he had 4 whole hours before his shift. That meant Jazz would be there in 3. He looked at the heap of digipads on his Bot-sized desk. The stack was high enough to see from down here. (They did over-hang a bit, so maybe Optimus wasn't being paranoid that Rodimus was trying to kill him with falling digipads.) He should try to tackle them. Then he looked at his freshly made, oh-so tempting looking bed. His head turned from his room to his ailing partner.

Rodimus sighed, hung his head for a moment, cleared some clothes and a few toys off an arm chair, and sat down.

When Jazz came in three hours later he found them both sleeping in the living room.

x  
x  
x

Next day:

Chromia was really enjoying herself.

She ran back and forth between Central and the construction committee, the newly formed medical boards, and so forth. Rodimus met with these groups himself daily but that wasn't enough, so she did the leg work.

Once in a while she wondered where Jazz had got to, but Kup and Blaster seemed to be managing. She did laugh though when First Aid showed up in Rodi's office with fire in his optics and a direct feed energon pump.

Rodimus did not seem terribly repentant and kept his optics on his latest digipads while the medic rounded on him for "reverting to past habits."  
"Up another 3 percent in the last hour," Rodimus said.

First Aid just groaned and took liberties with Rodi's person - opening a fuel port and plunging the line in a bit vindictively. Rodimus seemed not to notice.

"You're welcome," First Aid said.

Rodimus looked up, looked confused, and looked at the line running into his arm. "Oh...thanks First Aid."

The medic seemed to soften a bit. "Don't thank me. I'm just looking out for myself. I've had enough of you in Med-lab lately, that's all."

"Uh-huh," Rodimus said. "Thanks anyway. Now go."

"Next time don't need me," First Aid ordered.

"Right. Who ratted me out?" Rodimus said.

"A little bird," First Aid answered.

"Ok...Kup then. Next time he can just bring me a cube."

"That won't replace some shut down time Rodimus!"

"Aid...we are about to experience a population boom and you are the only medic who's ever delivered a new Transformer. If we have a lot of complications because we don't have enough creches up and running who do you think is going to have to deal with the medical emergencies that result?"

First Aid stared at him a long time. "So I'll be back with a new energon feed later this evening..." he finally said.

"You do that," Rodimus growled. "In the mean time why don't you go have a look at the new units Grapple's crew are installing. They put the clinic across the street. We kicked out the Paradronian Cultural Commission. They didn't even bitch so I guess that means they approve. Why don't you go see if you like the set up?"

"Yes sir," First Aid said, and left in a hurry.

That left Chromia and Rodimus alone in the office and the quiet was a bit of a shock.

Rodimus started muttering deep in his chest and Chromia wasn't sure if he was talking to her or himself.

"We have definitely reached a point where we are going to have to make some people wait their turn. The problem is how to make the list. First come first served? Fair but not necessarily best for the kids. A lottery system? Same problem. Financial stability? So only well-off folks get to have kids...yeah...that's fair. Relationship stability? Who am I to judge? How would we decide? I know some people are just hooking up to get involved in this because they think it sounds fun...not good for the young ones if that's true. Nothing we do will completely eliminate fad-breeding, but some single parents do better than a lot of couples.... Oh this is going to get ugly."

"You just have to do what is best for the young ones," Chromia said. She leaned over his shoulder to look at the numbers ticking steadily upward, and realized as she studied the numbers that in spite of their advanced networks part of the problem was people were having a hard time logging on to put in their response.

Rodimus glanced at her, a bit startled, and confirming her thought that he'd forgotten she was there.

"Of course the kids come first, and this will only be a problem until the infra-structure is set up. However I don't want more riots in the mean time! I don't think that promotes a healthy environment for the youngsters. Could just be me. No matter what I decide there will be people who feel it is unfair I'm making them wait and that I'm oppressing them for the hell of it.... And they call me impatient."

Chromia smiled ruefully, "I don't envy your decision."

"Well, that's because you aren't a moron. Now...refresh my memory... why did I make you come back here again?"

"To go over the latest blueprints for the school. The design staff is pretty happy this time. They think they've nailed it."

"Show me," Rodimus said.

"It's in your hand."

"Ah...right. I knew that," Rodimus said. He uploaded the image and frowned. "Oh no...that will never work. Look...see how they've got the work table right next to those tempting high storage compartments? You would have kids hanging off the ceiling in no time."

"But they can't reach..."

"They will climb," Rodimus said certainly.

"But they will be small," Chromia argued.

"They will find a way," Rodimus said.

"But why would they want to?"

"Because it's there. Trust me. The designers need to move things around and they need to take the storage all the way to the roof. What finish is that?"

"They went for the highest grade finishes....something about only the best for the newlings."

"Right. That's because they're clueless. Tell them to go for durable and washable, and remind Mr. Grapple of how watching his work get defaced upsets him!"

"They wanted to make a good impression," Chromia said, surprised he wasn't pleased.

"Good impressions are for diplomats. All kids know about walls is that they are fun to draw on, mark up, leave their own impressions on. Tell Grapple to plan like he would if he was building a new place for the Dinobots. That'll give him a notion what he's up against."

"You think the sparklings will be like Dinobots?"

"I think they will be curious and that will lead to climbing, escaping, and experiments into their abilities to rip their world apart," Rodimus said with an affectionate and strangely nostalgic look on his face.

Chromia was about to ask him where he got such a strange idea when a shrill cacophony of raised voices suddenly blared into the room - followed immediately by a whirl of equally erratic colors and flailing limbs.

Rodimus' head snapped up and his weapon appeared in his hand as if by magic - posed under the desk and aiming firmly at the disruption.

Chromia didn't think. It had been nearly a decade since she had woken up with the rest of Elita's team, but millions of years of hair-triggered paranoia didn't vanish that easily. Strange noises bad...weapons at ready good. Very simple. It stunned her though that he responded even faster than she did. Her weapon trained at the door as well, and she instinctively followed his lead and hid it behind the desk.

"No! You don't have an appointment!" Blaster was saying uselessly.

"Appointment?! This is clearly an emergency! Go send some messages or something," one of the invaders ordered with something of a shriek.

"Right!" the other sneered.

"Rodimus...I'm sorry but they wouldn't wait!" Blaster said, as the eight limbed monster untangled to reveal two enraged Paradronians.

"You are clearly malfunctioning! Something is wrong with your optics! Garish! Simply garish!" Limbs swatted around erratically - as if at invisible flies.

"Garish?! Compared to your lifeless insistence on bland, bland, bland toupe would be garish!" Again there was a tangle of bodies as the Paradronians swatted ineffectively at each other.

Chromia noted with some alarm that Rodimus neither relaxed nor lowered his weapon. He did hit some kind of scanning device that swept both the intruders and Blaster extremely quickly, but she couldn't tell what it read.

"You don't have an appointment!" Blaster tried again.

"Since when do we need one?" one of the contestants retorted haughtily. "Prime! You simply must talk to this simpleton! He wants our first new school to be grey! Grey! The people of the universe will decry us for abusing the younglings with boredom!"

Rodimus' optics widened but he didn't respond.

"Nonsense! The newlings must take their education seriously! That frivolous aqua will make us laughing stocks!"

Chromia banished her blaster and put a hand on Rodi's shoulder. His trigger finger was twitching, and his optics had returned to that unnatural green she had seen the previous week. Oblivious, the two Paradronian architects argued with each other - ignoring everyone else in the room for nearly five minutes. In all that time Rodimus neither moved nor made a sound. He simply stared.

As if on cue the architects suddenly stopped and faced him. Their expressions were so nearly identical Chromia almost laughed. Optics over-bright, a slightly smug smile on each face, they were clearly running on surges and conceit, and both clearly thought their side was the obvious choice.

"Prime! You must settle this! That simpleton Grapple choose green!"

"Green!" the other echoed.

Rodimus said nothing. He stared.

They stared back.

"Oh..." one paused. "I'm Master Architect Founder, sir. I...we...we know you are busy, but Optimus Prime has met with us and has shown great insight in the past."

Rodimus stared. Chromia squeezed his shoulder and kept a nervous optic on his trigger finger.

"You only say that because he sided with you three out of five! THIS Prime clearly appreciates some color!" the other bristled.

"Oh get over yourself Struts!" The ridiculous half-hearted swatting caused a breeze but not much else. Chromia snickered to herself. Even Neon hit harder than that. This round only lasted for a few seconds though as both Paradronians realized to their discomfort that Rodimus' demeanor hadn't changed a whit.

"Rodimus Prime?" Struts queried nervously.

"We await your decision...Sir?" Founder prodded.

Rodimus glared at both of them so long even their now-nervous smiles faltered. They looked at each other, then again at the green optics blasting holes in their confidence.

Very suddenly, they both had somewhere else to be.

Blaster watched the two of them retreating and chuckled. "Oh Rod! That was perfect! I have had it with those two barging in on Optimus! He never complains and he always helps them settle the score, but they don't give the dude the respect he deserves!"

Chromia noted with some alarm Rodi's blaster was now trained on Blaster. Only for an instant though. Rodimus might not have had anything to say to the Paradronians but his communications specialist was not so lucky.

"Are you insane?! You just let them waltz right in here!" The gun disappeared but Rodi's voice reported as loud and harsh as cannon fire.

"They've done it before! Optimus has an open door policy...."

"Optimus is a moron! He's too fucking polite! Blaster! We just had a Paradronian assassin nearly kill Arcee! How could you forget!? They nearly killed Steeljaw too! Don't tell me you just let anyone with a notion just barge in on Optimus!"

"Optimus never minded!" Blaster defended.

"Optimus is too nice for his own good! YOU are supposed to be protecting him!" Rodimus' voice was tight with fury. "The next time someone shows up without an appointment show them the door! If that doesn't work live up to your name and put a hole in them! When did you forget we are at war?"

Blaster gaped at Rodimus, clearly stunned at the diatribe, but he didn't argue. He hung his head a little. "You're right. Sorry Rodimus. It's been so long since I've been in a real fight I sort of did forget."

"If you want the peace around here to stick around you'd better not get complacent Blaster!" Rodimus growled.

Chromia watched the two of them and sided firmly with Rodimus, but the wheels in her head were turning.

Blaster was as relaxed as most of the people Chromia worked with these days. His "complacency" was rampant. Even Chromia's hounded team-mates were mostly over the hair-triggered reflexes that had seen them through Shockwave's reign.

Rodimus though...his reflexes were hot as laser fire. Chromia wondered. Where had he been during his un-accounted periods? First Aid had mentioned Med-lab, implying injury. Where was Optimus now? Where was Elita? Did ripples of unrest they'd seen lately on Cybertron indicate deeper currents of trouble? Chromia was suddenly very certain that it did, and where other Autobots might be offended at being excluded from the fight, Chromia was merely worried, and grateful her leaders went out of their way to protect her.

She squeezed Rodi's shoulder one more time, leaned in front of him, and took the digipad with the blueprints out of his computer. "I'll get these back to the design board, and I'll get them to make your changes."

"Thanks Chromia. Do me a favor please?"

"Hmm?"

"Make sure those civilian idiots understand Grapple is in charge down there. If he says green, or pink, or purple with orange polka dots they need to respect his place in the chain of command. This business with running to Optimus to over-ride him is disrespectful."

"Got it. Don't worry."

"Who me? Worry? What's to worry about?"

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART F


	6. Chapter 6

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART F

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART E

Char:

Soundwave watched dispassionately while the newscasters gave minute by minute updates on the numbers of potential breeders, the progress of clinics and schools being constructed and speculation as to how the Autobots would control the frenzy. The networks dutifully repeated Optimus' speeches about restraint, but only half as often as they aired clips of Solstice. There were even reporters making note of the jump in numbers every time Solstice aired, and debates about whether the networks were being irresponsible, but the segments having these debates aired the suspect clips over and over as part of their reports.

Cyclonus suffered surges. How had they been beaten by such a frivolous and senseless society? Why didn't the Primes just put a lid on all of this? Why give these ridiculous debates a chance to air and breed unrest when the only explanation for a command decision should have simply been "Because I said so!"?

Rodimus finally announced the breeding order would be first-come, first served, but with command prerogative to move anyone to the back of the line if anything in the parents' situation was deemed detrimental to the sparkling. All applications would be subject to review and rejection until all the infrastructure was in place to assist. The young Prime emphasized and reemphasized that the restrictions were only temporary, only for the moment, only until all medical and social support services were in place to help. Again and again he emphasized no one was being denied the right to breed, but when the message boards lit up it was plain he might as well not bothered.

Not many people were happy with the notion that they might have to wait their turn.

Cyclonus ground his jaw in frustration. Behind him though, his leader laughed.

Cyclonus looked over his shoulder and half expected to see an aurora of sparks around Galvatron's head. None. Just the Decepticon leader and his consort on the throne. Her armor was in disarray from their latest, violent joining.

"Oh, what a lovely cloud of chaos our enemies have set up for themselves," Galvatron purred.

"Indeed my Lord," Cyclonus said.

"They run to and fro in a haze. So many materials...so many workers... all scurrying around," Galvatron laughed.

"Indeed they are distressingly disorganized My Lord. It makes me want to strike them simply for being so stupid," Cyclonus admitted.

"Well then, perhaps you will get your chance. I think it is about time Viper made herself useful don't you?" Galvatron said, running his hand indecently high up her leg.

If Viper was concerned about that statement she gave no sign. "What service would My Lord desire?" she asked.

"New warriors, Viper. Really now, in all that disorganization, how difficult will it be for one of those precious creches to get... misplaced?"

Cyclonus and Soundwave exchanged glances. It wouldn't be that easy, no matter how quickly the Autobots were moving. Each creche was precious indeed and therefore carefully accounted for. Surely, the security around them would be vigilant.

Galvatron's hand crept higher up Viper's leg and she wriggled convincingly with anticipation. "When we have the creche then joining with you will be more than just pleasure Galvatron. We will form your new servants together."

He smiled, grabbed her dented pelvic armor, and ripped it off. "Now," he ordered.

"Now?! But my Lord," Viper cried. "If we don't have the creche in two weeks it will kill the sparkling - and maybe me too!"

"Then you will be well motivated not to fail me!" Galvatron rumbled, pointing his cannon at her temple. "NOW!" he cried. Without preamble he grabbed her smaller body like it was weightless, bent her over the arm of the throne and plunged into her. Cyclonus, Soundwave, and the others on duty stood silent witness, and this time none were certain if Viper's repeated cries were pleasure or fear.

Cybertron:

Once Rodimus was gone and Jazz and Optimus had their orders for the day, Optimus fell back to sleep for another 6 hours. When his eyes finally opened (not so different from activating one's optics but still interesting) Optimus felt a bit of disorientation. Where was Elita? Why did the ceiling seem so far off? The breathing and the palpable heartbeat helped clue him in. He spent a moment, feeling cool air go into his lungs and warm air come out. Rolling over to find Jazz, in human form, laying sideways across Rodi's arm chair helped get him oriented too. The specialist was playing a hand-held video game.

"That looks important," Optimus grinned.

Jazz didn't turn to face him but he grinned too. "Hey...I use every chance to blow off steam I can get Boss-Man. You two Prime clowns outta take note."

"I thought I was," Optimus agreed grimly. "But apparently I don't know the meaning of it."

"I can't argue with your choice of obsessions Optimus, but your basketball thing is not workin'."

Optimus sighed and closed his eyes again for a second. That second turned into five minutes of light snoring. Jazz actually took his eyes off his game long enough to check that Prime was really asleep.

"The Decepticons, the Autobots, basketball, Rodi's slavers.... Vector Sigma made us incapable of just...being," Optimus continued, unaware he had dropped off in the meantime.

"Well, if this human gig can't snap you out of that nothing will. Now, you need to get up and get dressed so we can join his Rodness for breakfast as ordered."

"I'm comfortable here," Optimus said.

Jazz grinned to himself. Optimus was cocooned in his robe and the blankets Rodi had thrown over him. Certain, he did look settled in, and obviously he was reluctant to move. How very unlike Optimus to resist getting to work! Maybe Elita was right and this was just what Op needed.

The lack of a chronometer probably wasn't hurting either. Optimus clearly had no idea what time it was.

"Man, you need to get that aft in gear or we are going to answer for it," Jazz said with a chuckle.

"Rodimus wanted to check in with us at 8 am," Optimus argued. "Surely even though I'm new it can't take that long for a human to get dressed."

Jazz outright laughed. "Optimus, you have 15 minutes to report for breakfast duty. Rodimus is kicking everyone out to see you through my cookin' and I don't think keeping him waiting is going to help your relationship!"

Optimus sat bolt upright and stared at the clock. Jazz nodded and grinned even wider at him.

"I lost track of time!" Optimus whispered. His eyes stretched wide as they could go.

"Heh...sleep will do that. The Major General still bitches about that."

"I don't believe it!" Optimus whispered. He stared at the clock for almost a minute, and then a very smug smile germinated across his features.

Minutes later, after some inordinately complex maneuvers involving underwear and sweat pants, Optimus Prime reported for duty like a green cadet at the kitchen table. The Matrix pulsed once in welcome as he brushed it with his finger tips. Jazz gave it wide berth and activated the com line at 7:55. At 8 am precisely the other end activated and Rodimus' surly face filled the screen.

This inconvenient meeting had been Rodi's own idea. He didn't have time for it, but he didn't fully trust Jazz when it came to food. The loyal and brilliant specialist, so entirely reliable in robot mode, was enthusiastic to a fault with all things human, especially meals.

When Jazz had come in that morning Rodimus had given Optimus strict instructions.

"Jazz is in charge Optimus," Rodimus said sternly.

"I know. Don't worry Rodimus, I will do whatever he tells me to," Optimus said drowsily.

"Yes but old habits die hard. You listen to him no matter what and trust his judgement...." Rodimus paused, and suddenly looked at Jazz with narrowed eyes. "EXCEPT when it comes to meals. You are not to give him anything with caffeine or sugar Jazz! Got that Optimus? Don't eat anything with caffeine or sugar no matter what he gives you."

"Hey Man! Don't you trust me?"

"In the face of your addictions? No. Not at all," Rodimus said blandly. "And don't give me that face either Jazz! You disobeyed direct orders and went off for donuts just last week! If I had anyone to replace you you'd be in the brig just on principle!"

Jazz muttered and shuffled his feet, but he didn't look terribly repentant.

"Jazz!" Optimus cried. "That's unlike you!"

"Wait till you try donuts! Then you'll understand!" Jazz grinned.

"He's addicted and he's incorrigible," Rodimus told his partner. "You are not ready for that stuff yet. No caffeine, and no sugar. Got it?"

"I got it," Optimus seriously. Then he frowned. "But..."

"What?" Rodimus grumbled.

"How do I know what has sugar and what has caffeine?"

Rodimus cussed, hung his head, and then ordered them to patch into his office at meal times so he could supervise. Optimus was under strict instructions not to eat anything unless Rodimus was monitoring.

Hence the 8 am conference call.

"How's it going?" Optimus asked. Rodi's face was wall to wall thunder clouds.

"Shitty," Rodimus said. "And you're in trouble."

"What? Why?""

"We will discuss it when I get home. What's for breakfast Jazz?"

"PLAIN oatmeal," Jazz answered. "And that is just a crime. You are torturing him!"

"Not over-loading his brand new body with half a bottle of maple syrup is not torture Jazz," Rodimus growled. "Now make it where I can see you!"

"No respect," Jazz bemoaned.

"No late to mission over donuts...no crap from boss. Late to mission for cream-filled pastries? No whining over crap from boss," Rodimus simpered.

"Man, I told you I was sorry!"

"It would have worked better without all the powdered sugar all over your face."

"I can't believe I haven't heard of this incident before now," Optimus said to no one in particular. Neither of them seemed to hear him, but Jazz avoided eye contact and busied himself most heartily with packets of powder and water. Rodimus stared balefully at them from the screen and watched as intently as if Jazz were defusing a bomb. Optimus watched too, but out of curiosity.

It seemed harmless enough. The result was interesting too.

"This is very different from yesterday's meal," Optimus commented after about half the bowl. Jazz was still acting a bit evasive and Rodimus had his chin on his hand. "It's interesting."

"Oatmeal with no flavoring is not interesting Op," Jazz sulked.

Rodimus snorted. "Looks like he will survive anyway." The door beep started sounding off and Rodimus jumped. "I've got to go."

"Rodimus!" Optimus called before his partner could sign off.

"What?"

"Thank you. Good luck today," Optimus seriously.

Rodimus scowled for a second, and then, just barely, he smiled and nodded. The screen went dark.

Optimus sighed sadly.

"He's being a bigger prick than usual," Jazz complained. "You were just being polite."

"He can't help it Jazz. Did you see him analyze it? That was him doing the mandatory check list. Was I putting him down? No. Was I being sarcastic? No. Was I being polite just for the sake of being polite and not because I'm really thankful or care about his day? Maybe. Is that because I am making an effort to patch things up or is it so I can claim some kind of moral superiority to him? Possibly...but he'll give me a smile of sorts just in case I am making an effort...and so I CAN'T claim some kind of moral superiority."

Jazz stared at him. "All that from a simple thanks and have a nice day?"

Optimus nodded. "You can imagine what anything more substantial is like...and I go over everything he says the same way."

"That's fucked up," Jazz said bluntly. He surged up, threw the frig door open, and poked his whole head inside, shoving things around rudely until he found what he wanted.

Optimus started to protest the language and then stopped. Crude, true, but completely accurate. He just nodded and reached one hand out to brush the Matrix with his fingertips. It lit up right where he touched it and the glow followed his fingertips around.

"We will beat it," Optimus said. "We don't have a choice." He looked up and noted Jazz surreptitiously wiping his eyes. Optimus knew at once he wasn't supposed to notice that but it must have shown on his exposed human face - an unforseen inconvenience.

Jazz looked a bit embarrassed but decided now was the time for full disclosure if there ever was. "That ain't right!" he cried, angry. Then he visibly fought to get himself under control. "At least Lancer keeps the good stuff in here," he muttered, removing a canister of something and setting it on the counter. Optimus watched with curiosity as his specialist fumbled with his emotions and smoothly went about whatever he was doing at the same time. Whatever the task was required little concentration on Jazz's part, telling Optimus whatever he was doing was a repeated chore. Filling a decanter with water, installing some kind of paper in a gizmo on the counter, and scooping black powder out of the canister.

Finally, Jazz vengefully prodded a button on the device he was fiddling with. He coughed, cleared his throat and stared vaguely at Optimus' back-lit fingers. The machine made noises that Jazz ignored.

"Prowl...Prowl and I used to tag team on you, ya know," Jazz whispered.

Optimus' eyes crinkled slightly at the corners and he shrugged. "I suspected sometimes."

"Well...we did. We'd pow-wow up and strategize which one of us was going in to try to get you to unload stuff now and then. Sometimes he went at you...sometimes me."

"As I recall sometimes it was both of you," Optimus chuckled. "but I was never sure if it was just coincidence or coordinated ."

"Oh we had battle plans, contingencies...the works..." Jazz said. "Prowl meant business."

They both smiled a bit to themselves. Optimus played with the light under his hands.

"I wasn't aware I was under attack," Prime finally said.

"You weren't meant to...that would sorta be the point Op," Jazz pointed out. "Thing was, when you both died I was relieved Rodimus was more the venting sort and that he leaned on Mags and Kup instead of me. I always felt like Prowl and me did our best, and sometimes we helped you, but it's a tricky business talking to your friend when he is also your boss."

"You helped me many times Jazz," Optimus assured him.

"That's good to hear, but me and Prowl both knew that there were simply things we couldn't do for you and things you could never 'fess up to because you were our commander. We wished Elita was around at the very least."

Optimus frowned and nodded so Jazz went on.

"I watched Magnus and Kup herding Rod along. I thought they were out of bounds sometimes, but Prowl and I messed up plenty so I didn't get into it."

"Some of that was Vector Sigma too," Optimus reminded him.

"Yeah. Thing was...I didn't say anything. I watched Rod pulling back...I saw him building up the same fences you did and I didn't ever once get on Kup's case about it. I figured it was sorta inevitable. Part of the Prime gig. Being lonely. Living in the land of hurt. Then the two of you teamed up and I figured that solved it. You two could look optic to optic and be there for each other."

"We tried. It worked. Especially before either of us went back to Cybertron it worked. I'm not saying it was easy, but he was getting confident enough to be rude to me about it," Optimus said with a rueful smile.

"Rude?"

"Rude...as in 'If you don't go to your quarters and take a break I'm gonna send Sludge in there to repaint them any way he likes.'"

Jazz chuckled. "Now there's a tactic Prowl never suggested!" Then he sobered. "Is that when the whole basketball thing got out of hand?"

"Yes...yes I suppose it was. What is that thing doing?"

"It's making coffee," Jazz told him. "Lancer may not be here much but she keeps this place stocked. Only the good stuff for that woman. .... I suppose most of it comes off of slaver ships."

"Coffee? That's the stuff Sparkplug and Spike always carried around. I've always wondered about it - it seems such a huge part of human culture. I guess I have to wait until Rodimus checks back in to try it."

Jazz shrugged - his face looked thoughtful and far away for a moment. "Young boss said no eating without him, but this is distinctly a drink. You can't go all day with nothing to drink."

"So I can try this?" Optimus smiled.

"Sure," Jazz said vaguely. He opened a cabinet and got out two mugs.

Optimus made note of the array of choices on that shelf. "Why not the big ones?"

"Those are the personal property of one demonic lady mutant and I know better," Jazz chuckled, but he got right back to complaining. "It just galls me that Vector Sigma sabotaged you two. Prowl would have given his logic centers to see you sounding off to an equal and when you finally get one Sigma makes it all go hay-wire." He filled the mugs, placed one in front of Optimus, and got two other small canisters, plus spoons.

Optimus picked up the spoon and turned it over and over in his hands. He arched a brow at his friend as if to say "Now what?"

"The rule is the first time you try something you see if you like how it stands, or you can tweak it," Jazz said. "This is creamer and this is sweetener. I dig real cream but Rod-man just lets it spoil, so I grab this powdered crap for when her Ladyship is in town. I like mine with one scoop of the creamer and two of the su...sweet stuff." He demonstrated.

"I see," Optimus said sagely.

Jazz laughed. "Man you make that BS sound authentic. Try it black. And don't burn yourself!"

Optimus took a sip, and made a thoughtful face. Intriguing, this drink. Not distasteful at all, but strong and hot. He added the demonstrated one scoop of creamer, and made a similar face. That was different. Much more of a change than one grade of energon to another, with such a simple modification. He smiled, enjoying the chance to experiment. A spoonful of the coarser powder came next. That was not only intriguing because of the modification, he found he really enjoyed the new taste. So that was "sweet!" He added another spoonful of white granules and found both the taste and his enjoyment intensified. So he tried another. Then another. Each sip followed another spoonful. He liked the feel of the spoon in his hand...and of the warm liquid as he drank it. It was all good to him, start to finish, but he enjoyed it more as the ratio of sweetener increased.

Maybe it was just something new to think about.

"So why didn't you?" Optimus finally asked between experiments.

"Why didn't I what?"

"Step in as one of Rodimus' advisors," Optimus clarified.

"Oh...well...the things you used me for the most he was already good at. Thinking on his feet, adapting, understanding humans. He didn't need my help there. Magnus and Kup were supplying the old-school know-how. Besides...it gave me time to grieve."

"For me...and all the others we lost that day," Optimus whispered. He stirred in another spoonful of sweetener idly, and found his vision blurring unexpectedly. He started, alarmed, but Jazz just handed him a napkin.

"Dry your eyes Optimus," Jazz said. "I think maybe it's time you grieved for all of them too."

x  
x  
x

"Protoform confirmed," Soundwave said to Galvatron.

Viper's optics flared wildly.

Galvatron smiled, and sparks danced.

x  
x  
x

Dressed in camos, a team of photo-journalists armed with state of the art telephoto lenses and microphone crouched in the shrubs north of Metroplex. Springer and Arcee's quarters were actually further from their location, but the reporters knew there was an exterior exit the family often used that was fairly visible from this side. The viewing public was getting tired of satellite images of the new Transformer.

Bad shots would earn them a year's pay. Good ones would make them rich. They waited.

A faint crunch sounded behind them. One turned, saw nothing, and dismissed it. Squirrel most likely. Long minutes passed. Autobots went to and fro down in the city, but not the ones they were looking for.

The noise behind them repeated itself, but neither turned...at least until a shadow cut them off from the air. They both turned slowly and found a glowering monolith impossibly planted right behind them. Both men screamed as the living tower reached for them.

Ultra Magnus plucked both reporters off the hillside and stomped down to the city with them. One shrieked protests and apologies as he took them to Metroplex's civilian "jail". The other said nothing - he fainted. Magnus face reflected nothing but grim anger as he made a point to pass the reporters waiting in the authorized area set aside for them with his trespassers. Internally though, he was smirking.

Learning from Lancer was having some unexpected pay-offs.  
x  
x  
x

Rodimus made an angry bee-line for his quarters the instant his shift was done. He was on a mission - target locked. He made a point to morph before going into the secret section because he didn't fully trust himself to be careful with his target. When the door opened he was momentarily stunned by what he saw to the point he almost forgot his mission.

There were several things wrong with the input from his optics... err ...eyes.

First, his quarters were clean. That simply did not compute.

Second, Jazz the Autobot Specialist, and Optimus Prime, revered Autobot Leader, could simply not be playing with Edana's vintage Mousetrap game.

He almost walked right back out again. This simply couldn't be the right place. Instead he stood there quietly, eyes wide. Neither of them noticed him they were laughing so hard.

Some part of him marveled. He couldn't really remember the last time he'd heard Optimus laugh like that. Actually, he didn't EVER remember Optimus laughing like that. Like something was really funny...like it came from his soul and not some kind of social obligation. The sound bounced around the small room like Edana and Alex's did.

Perhaps it wasn't enough to change his target, but it was sufficient to modify his tactics a bit. He went right past them without distracting them and into Edana's room. Rifling through her bookcase was easier than predicted - it had all been organized and the dictionary was easy to spot amidst his daughter's more entertaining reading. The other books were all tattered and dog-eared from repeated use, even in this place which she saw so rarely. Rodimus paused and felt guilty. Edana was curious about pretty much everything, read and memorized nearly instantly, and they couldn't even risk her getting online. All they could feed her restless intelligence was on outdated paper because they couldn't afford the risk someone might notice electronic activity from these nonexistent rooms. And yet she had been through all these books enough to wear them out.

No...no distractions. Grab the book. Find the page. Back on target.

Rodi advanced, armed with his book and assassin's surprise. Jazz saw him first and yelped. This gave Optimus just enough time to look over his shoulder to see doom approaching fast.

The senior Prime didn't have time to smile a greeting. His mouth opened for a cheerful "Hello" but what emerged was "OUCH! Hey!"

Rodimus' hand had snapped out with assassin's speed to grab his partner by the ear.

"Come here you!" Rodimus snarled, hauling his amazed partner to his feet.

"OUCH! Rodimus! That really hurts!"

"I know! Move your aft!" Rodimus growled gleefully. Jazz's eyes dilated as he watched Rodimus pull the Senior Prime along like a troublesome child, brandishing a dictionary like a bludgeon. Rodimus lead the leader to the kitchen, slammed the book down on the table in front of the Matrix and pointed to a word. "Pay attention!" he ordered, giving Optimus' ear a firm tug.

"Ouch! Rodimus what do you want?!"

"I want you to read that word! Do you see that word? D-e-l-e-g-a-t-e? Delegate! See it?! Three syllables! OO! Looky! It's a VERB! That means it is something you have to DO!"

"Rodimus! What's the matter with...OUCH!"

"Pay attention! We are learning new vocabulary! See the definition?"

"Rodi I know what delegate means!" Optimus said indignantly. He tried to straighten and pull his ear free (amazing how much sensation they transmitted) only to have Rodi's other hand blur past his vision to grab the other one too. Head firmly entrapped, Optimus found there was nothing he could do but stare into Rodimus' furious green eyes.

Jazz wished for a camera.

"Oh really? You know what that word means? Then why am I constantly being assaulted with one committee after another going everywhere but THROUGH the proper channels to bug me with petty decisions? Why are they used to that Optimus? Why are they coming to Rodimus Prime with everything from appeals for traffic violations to the color of the new school with every expectation that I will make time for them?!" He released Optimus' ears but the Senior Prime remained bent forward, transfixed.

"Um..." Optimus said.

"Some of them are really quite surprised I am not going to waive their speeding tickets!"

"Um..." Optimus said.

Rodimus eyebrows rose sardonically.

"Well,,,um...you see...."

"I do see. I see you allowing this kind of behavior. They disrespect you, they disregard all protocols, and you disrespect your own people by allowing morons to go over their heads whenever they choose! Why did we give Grapple the position as Senior architect if you were going to disregard his authority wherever someone disagrees with his decisions?!"

"Well, I never thought of it that way...I was just trying to..."

"To be nice? To be helpful? You are just used to being the only one around to make any decisions! You don't lead a handful of Bots in the Ark anymore! This is a PLANET...shall we look up 'planet?' You've completely neutered Grapple and Nightbeat! You've made Blaster's job managing your appointments into a joke! All the security we set up for you is useless and how in the hell do you ever get anything done?! I spent more time today scanning for Conversion and kicking people out than doing any actual work!"

"Um..." Optimus said. He was clearly in shock.

Rodimus crossed his arms and waited. Jazz had the very surreal thought that Rodimus was suddenly the senior Prime. In a way though he was delighted. This was nothing he or Prowl could have ever gotten away with!

Optimus straightened. "I'm sorry. I never thought of how disrespectful that was to Grapple and the others."

Rodimus' hand lashed out and bopped his partner lightly on the back of the head.

"Ouch! Hey!"

"How's about you? It is also disrespectful to YOU! You have too many other things on your agenda to be messing around with paint swatches! You are just lucky Elita is more patient than Lancer! If she found out I was wasting the little time I have with her on feuding decorators she'd wrap my tailpipe around my head! My image as a punk trouble-maker isn't all that much worse than yours as a molly-coddler! 'Prime' should not be synonymous with 'nanny!'"

Jazz, trying to stay invisible, grinned to himself.

Optimus frowned, looked a bit rebellious, and then sighed, nodding. "So I take it you have done some work rectifying that impression?"

Rodimus grinned a bit like Galvatron. "Let's just say that they are learning to appreciate you better. I announced the rules for the breeding queue today. If I don't cause riots we will consider the whole thing a success."

"What are you going to do?"

"First come, first served - but with the clear understanding that every application will be reviewed and we reserve the right to send anyone at all to the back of the line. If we feel there is anything detrimental to the newlings they will have to wait until we have enough resources in place to help them."

"Not forever, just until the infrastructure is ready," Optimus muttered. "Makes sense, sounds fair enough, and everyone will agree until you tell them THEY are the ones who have to wait."

"Right...and think of the line of appeals you will have outside your door Mr. Accommodating. It's probably good I'm doing this right now, I'm already used to being called Asshole. By tomorrow they will probably make that my official title....either that or Ruthless Dictator."

Optimus chuckled. "When Kup asked us to work on your image I'm not sure switching from party-hound to ruthless dictator was what he had in mind.!"

"He should be more careful what he asks for then. Old bastard. Never satisfied," Rodimus nodded.

Jazz watched them, and felt a bit more hopeful. He shifted ever so slightly in his seat, and accidentally sent the whole Mouse-trap game into motion.

"Hey! You were supposed to wait for me on that!" Optimus complained.

"Very sorry Op! Totally accidental," Jazz grinned. They both watched the little plastic pieces move around. Rodimus watched them with disbelief. This time through, the last basket missed the mouse entirely.

"Uh-oh...he got away again," Optimus complained with a grin. Then he and Jazz caught the look on Rodi's face and just laughed. "It's an ingenious toy," Optimus said sincerely, by way of self defense.

Rodi's eyebrows just disappeared under his unkempt bangs. Jazz cackled helplessly. Somewhere during the uproar, Rodimus got that far-away look which indicated his mate was sending to him.

"I can not cope with confronting what you two have been doing with my kids' things so I'll just ask you to move that to the floor," Rodimus said with a bemused expression.

"We'll put it away properly," Optimus offered.

"Don't bother. I have just been informed we are going to need both tables for dinner tonight," Rodimus said with a bit of a smile.

"Company?"

"Lancer's coming...and she's bringing Chaos and Madness with her."

Optimus looked blank, but Jazz lit up. "Ah, the whole harem of Fair Maidens are coming to redecorate!"

"She's bringing the girls?" Optimus asked a bit nervously.

Rodimus nodded. "Now."

"Why?"

"I don't know," the junior Prime answered, "And that scares me."

x  
x  
x

Char:

"I am scared my sister," Viper confessed. They were alone in their meager quarters. Viper had retreated there to think and strategize. For some reason, Galvatron's spacious rooms didn't seem so luxurious right now. Nor were they conducive to planning. It would take 1 to 4 days to get to Cybertron, depending on how much of a risk she wanted to take getting spotted... but time was suddenly so important.

Adder, of course, said nothing. Her optics followed a stray insect which flew around the room.

For some reason, this made her sister feel all the more vulnerable and alone. Two weeks...and one day already lost.

There was a knock on their door. Adder struck it twice as always but Viper jumped up so quickly she almost got hit with splattered acid. She opened the door, relieved somehow that it was her rival and not her mate.

"So," Cyclonus asked without preamble, "When are we leaving?"

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART G


	7. Chapter 7

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART G

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART F

Cybertron:

Chaos and Madness landed in Rodi's quiet quarters almost the instant after he learned they were coming. Events occurred in rapid succession, over-whelming Optimus' new-found human senses.

Pagan teleported in Lancer, Alex, Edana, and several luggage bags. The tall Drazi lizard let go of her charges, looked around in approval, and said to Rodi, "Male, this is the first time I've seen this dwelling in order."

Rodimus didn't hear her though because his eldest was doing her ceremonial scream of joy at seeing him and was in mid-air almost before Pagan started speaking. Edana launched herself at her father with the complete assurance that no matter what he was doing he would catch her.

He caught her, and hugged her hard. Lancer balanced Alex on one hip and surveyed the place as well. "Nice work Optimus," she said with a smile. "Don't give Rodi credit for it Pagan. You should know better." The mutant gave Jazz an ironic look and he scurried to move the Mouse-trap to the floor so she could set the bags down. "I won't even ask," she told the Specialist.

""You don't need to your Ladyship," Jazz laughed. "You know I play with this stuff more than your cuties do!"

She grinned, and set Alex down in front of the game. The over-tall toddler sat down and undid every piece in record time. Lancer turned to Optimus and looked him up and down. "You look good," she said.

"Uh...thank you. You look...different from down here," Optimus answered nervously.

Lancer smiled and Pagan hissed her odd, machine gun laugh. The Drazi went to sit on the arm-rest of the couch and gave Optimus' arm a scaly squeeze on the biceps as she passed. "Good meat," she grinned, showing every one of her numerous sharp teeth.

Rodimus and Edana had formed some kind of red-headed tumbleweed and were trying to tickle each other to death. Jazz sat on the couch next to Pagan and they had a serious sounding conversation about whether Optimus would make a decent meal if this whole "Prime" job didn't work out.  
Rodimus emerged victorious from his battle by tucking Edana under his arm and ignoring her so he could greet her mother. He gave his mate a long kiss, and said, "Lancer, love, it is good to see you. Why are you here?"

The mutant grinned. "I am here to bring you your daughters of course. They are spending the night."

"They are?!" Rodimus cried.

"WE ARE?!" Edana cried. "Hurray!"

Rodimus locked eyes with his mate but whatever arguments and plea deals he was sending her were clearly blocked.

"You are home. You are spending time with them. End of story. Godzilla over there doesn't even recognize you yet," Lancer said seriously, indicating Alex who, having leveled the Mouse-trap, was now gnawing on the pieces.

"You don't think I've got enough to worry about?" Rodi said weakly.

"They will help you," Lancer said seriously. "They will. Elita and I put this plan together. Rodi...it's better this way....and I am helping you other ways."

Pagan clacked. "Come out and say what you mean. Claudia keeps telling you not to coddle the child."

"Yeah," Edana said. "Mom's going to do that big hit you were planning and she doesn't want me around. She doesn't think I can handle it."

Lancer threw stern looks at Edana, which wasn't easy as she still hung, apparently comfortably, upside down under Rodi's arm.

"Hey...watch the attitude," Rodimus said, giving the child a squeeze. Then he met his mate's eyes again. "You guys are going after the big auction near the old space-bridge tomorrow?" Rodimus asked, eyes wide. "I'd given up on that."

"There's a big auction in Iacon?" Optimus interrupted, astonished.

Rodimus nodded. "I was supposed to hit it tomorrow to see if I could get information on where the orders were coming from. I've been planning it for months, but obviously I couldn't go this week."

"Why wasn't I briefed?" Optimus glared.

" I...Jazz? Didn't I give you those plans for him?"

The Specialist winced. "Rod-man you did, but I don't think I ever gave them to him." This time Jazz got glared at by two irate Primes.

"We are having enough trouble communicating without you slacking off Jazz!"

"I know! I'm sorry...the whole thing with KC was going down and I just..err...lost it when I trashed my quarters. I forgot all about it."

Edana squirmed and Rodimus let her down. She crawled up in Jazz's lap and he hugged her. "You trashed you quarters?" she asked.

"Yeah little lady. I did," Jazz confessed sadly.

"Oh...even the juke box?" Edana asked.

"All of it hon," Jazz whispered, kissing her. He knew his quarters were like a magical place for her, even though she'd only been there a handful of times. After the sterile white halls of the Maelstrom, his neon wrapped rooms were more like a theme park to Rodi's kids. The last time she was there Edana had spent hours pushing buttons on the juke box and dancing by herself.

"Don't be mad at him Daddy. He's sad about Aunt KC, too," Edana ordered.

Rodimus frowned, but obviously relented a bit, earning his daughter another squeeze from Jazz.

I am caving to the wishes of a 6 year old kid when it comes to handling my troops, Rodi thought ruefully to himself. I wonder how that falls into good leadership skills?

You are listening to the advise of a powerful empath, Lancer sent, And you are relenting because she's right. After all you've been through lately, I would say her instincts are clearer than yours.

She's an empath and you are dumping her in with me and Optimus, Rodimus argued.

That's right. And neither of you will get away with any crap while she's here. This was really Elita's idea by the way, so don't think you are getting out of it, Lancer sent, her mental "voice" smug.

"Elita is a trouble-maker," Rodimus grumbled out loud. His partner threw him an semi-offended look, and Rodimus explained quickly. "All this madness is her idea, and the nice peaceful evening I was imagining just went to the pit, Partner. It's a conspiracy. Our mates have thrown us to the wolves."

"Ah..." Optimus said wisely, "Is that why Alex is eating the plastic over there? Because she's a wolf? Or is she just hungry?"

"Actually I was merciful and fed them before we came," Lancer said. Her eyes reflected some concern, "Alex is always hungry anyway...she's growing so fast."

"Are you staying for dinner?" Rodimus asked hopefully. He knew better, but he tried. The one thing he missed about the being trapped in another dimension was all the time he'd spent with his mate.

"No. We have to go get ready. We aren't going to follow your plans Love. This won't be a surgical strike for information. We are going to raid their files first, but after that we are going to lay waste to the place."

"You are going to kill the lot of them?" Optimus asked.

"Yes," Lancer said gravely, "And then we are going to blow it sky-high."

"Good," Optimus said. "Thank you. Thank you for standing in for him."

Pagan narrowed her yellow, slitted eyes at the Autobot leader. "This is not your war alone, robot. We hunted this prey before your were aware it was here. Do not thank us. We look to our own tails."

Optimus nodded, and watched Lancer kiss her children goodbye...after she rescued the little Mouse-trap man from Alex's jaws. She tossed the mangled toy to Rodi, who looked at it with a bit of amusement.

"She gets that bite from you," he told his mate.

"No...wherever either of them do anything bad it's your fault," Lancer told him. She arched an eyebrow at Alex, who had simply transferred her teething to another piece. "Try not to let her choke OK?"

"Sure, but don't count on us not blowing up the place," Rodimus smiled.

"Time for me to beat a retreat then!" Jazz announced. "Ten minutes of recharge and I'll be ready for the night shift."

"Speaking of explosions, try not to blow up Central like you did the last time you sat in for me," Optimus quipped.

"No promises Boss-Man. Besides, with Lady-lightning bolts in town, ya gotta expect a few sha-booms."

Lancer laughed. "That would be the idea." They all waved goodbye and the Specialist scurried off.

"Be careful Mom," Edana said in a small voice.

"You too. Remember what I told you and your sister?"

"Yeah. No biting," Edana smiled, although her eyes didn't.

"Except for...?" Lancer prompted.

"Except for Daddy," Edana finished, smiling a bit more believably.

"Right. No biting except for Daddy," Lancer agreed. "If we are lucky I will be back before bedtime, but no promises OK? I will kiss you goodnight no matter what. Deal?"

Edana nodded.

Lancer turned to her mate and spent a minute just looking at him.

Be careful Mom, he sent to her. She didn't answer, although he knew she wouldn't. He kissed her goodbye as if they had no witnesses and then Pagan took her hand and disappeared with her.

Rodimus blinked rapidly.

Then all hell broke loose.

x  
x  
x

"So, several bugs went to the US government, one to the inner sanctum here at the UN, one went to the French ambassador, and one we couldn't trace," Spike mused. "And I thought I wasn't popular around here."

Shellshock opted for silence.

"Well, it's easy to guess which one we need to follow up on the most," Spike sighed. "If anything is gonna detect a Maelstrom based trace it is likely to be Jabez technology too."

Shellshock frowned and nodded.

"I wonder which ones we should 'discover' publically," Spike wondered.

"All of them," Shellshock answered, "or I will look incompetent as your body-guard. We will have to see who tries again."

"It won't be the same trick again," Spike complained.

"Except for our own," Shellshock pointed out.

Spike just grinned. He fully expected to die poking his nose into Jabez affairs. He didn't care. He was taking his opportunity to spit in their black, soulless eyes. A pointless gesture of defiance perhaps, but he was happy just for the chance.

x  
x  
x

Magnus grinned to himself. No new attempts had been made on Metroplex's security in 24 hours and Marissa was feeling well enough to travel. Her parents were flying her in on Flint's private chopper and she and the boys would be in her private rooms here in Metroplex by midnight. He was back in his city and his family would be there when he got off shift. As far as he was concerned, that made things as close to perfect as it was ever likely to get.

x  
x  
x

Springer hit one of the security cameras and chuckled to himself. Magnus was such a pro. He didn't say anything to the reporters who were incarcerated there, waiting, sometimes in vain, for their papers and stations to post the ludicrously high bail it took to spring them from Autobot territory. No. Magnus just showed up every once in a while to simply glare at them. Some said nothing to him. Some put up brave fronts and tried reasoning, begging, or even threatening lawsuits and other stupid things. Made no difference. He just stared.

Springer nodded. Whatever others might try in the days and years to come, these particular reporters would not be bothering Arcee and Solstice again. Arcee came up behind him and slid one arm around him. She leaned in, saw what he was looking at, and laughed.

"Magnus...he's such a pro."

x  
x  
x

Alex played quietly for about 3 seconds after Lancer and Pagan ported out. Then she looked up, frowned, and sniffed the air. Her bright green eyes darted to and fro for an instant and when Lancer was not immediately apparent, the happy child transformed into a howling puddle of fear and outrage.

Her sister, on the other hand, switched from the slight, not-really-real possibility that Mom might get hurt, back to the very real reality that she was not cooped up on the Maelstrom and that Daddy was here. She had all the ususal enthusiasm of a six-year old at a slumber party, combined with months of pent up energy . She was a bright and energetic child who lived in a spacious white cage. Just the change in scenery was enough to over-stimulate her. The fact that Rodimus amounted to more of a play-mate than a parent in her eyes combined with all of that to send the elder child into warp drive.

Optimus felt the need to stand still as a lamp post and cover his ears with his hands. He watched his partner evaluate the situation and grinned to himself. Rodi had on the same expression he wore reading a battle field. Surely, no real battle had ever been louder.

Apparently Rodimus felt that the opponent who was screaming and running around was more of a threat than the one who was merely screaming. Edana was smoothly captured under the arm pits and brought to eye level. Even suspended she fairly shook with excitement.

"Edana! You need to stop! You need to help me!" Rodimus said seriously to his child. She instantly went limp in his grasp and cocked her head at him. Optimus found that response amusing.

"Sweet heart, I am glad you are here, but this is not a play day for me. Understand?" Rodimus continued. Optimus tried dropping his hands so he could hear better but immediately thought better of it. He wondered if crying toddlers simply had more ability to make noise, since he was certain he couldn't have topped Alex right now if he tried.

Edana nodded at her father seriously, seeing entreaty in his face and feeling a lot more than he guessed about how important this was to him. Rodi smiled a bit at her and turned her around to balance her on his hip.

"You remember how Mom told you about Vector Sigma...and how it made it hard for me to be friends with Uncle Optimus? You remember him?"

"A little," Edana confessed honestly. She stared at Optimus who felt compelled to stare back. The intensity of her scrutiny surprised him a little - as if she were looking into him as well as at him. "He looks a lot more different from you when you're big."

Rodimus took a second to decipher that and answered, "He's missing the mask. We were worried he might not have a face at all, but at least he has an ugly one."

"Hey! That's not nice!" Edana scolded, "You are supposed to be nice!"

"Oh right. I forgot," Rodimus said, throwing Optimus the tiniest of winks. "That's what we're doing Lady-girl. I am teaching Optimus how to be a squishy human, and we are practicing being friends again. Do you think you can help me? Can you help me teach him and help us remember to be nice?"

Optimus felt that was an excellent example of properly given assignment and motivation. Edana's pale eyes lit with enthusiasm. She nodded and said something to her father Optimus couldn't hear. He cast his eyes down to the other noise-maker. Alex had one hand shoved all the way into her mouth, but somehow the noise remained unaffected.

Half out of memory of watching Carly with Daniel, and half because Optimus had only seen Alex once right after birth, the senior Prime picked up the shrieking baby.

Ancient one and neonate studied each other. She stopped crying (mostly out of surprise at a new face) and Rodi's head snapped around at the sudden quiet. He stared in consternation as his partner held his youngest out at arm's length and looked at her.

"This one looks a bit more like her mother," Optimus analyzed. It was true. Alex had a long, thin face with over-large dark green eyes, and silky strawberry blond locks with just a hint of curl to them. She examined him fiercely, with as much attention to detail and then some. She sniffed... sniffed again... and found him lacking.

His only warning was a huge expansion in her tiny chest before the ear piercing wail exploded again. Rodimus took her gently away from his partner and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't look overly surprised or worried about the caterwauling... just a bit sad.

"She's scared," Edana announced.

"I know," Rodimus told her.

"What is she frightened of?" Optimus asked.

"It's separation anxiety," Rodimus answered loudly. "It's normal for babies this age to be afraid when they are left with strangers."

"Strangers?" Optimus started, and then stopped cold. Lancer's earlier words finally made sense to him. This child didn't know her father.

"It's OK," Rodimus told Alex, "You're fine. You'll live, I promise." He deliberately mimicked Lancer's phrases and body language, giving the baby something familiar as best he could. Finally, the tears slowly stopped, and she sagged like a rag-doll on his shoulder. Rodimus smiled a bit and patted her. "Took you long enough, Stubborn. You get that temper from Mommy."

"Oh right," Optimus quipped. "You don't have a temper."

"Yes he does," Edana said seriously to him. Her voice held just a bit a consternation that Optimus had never noticed. "Come on."

"Come on? Where are we going?" Optimus asked.

"To my room," she informed him, taking his fingers. "You have to learn how to be a human person."

"Oh. Thank you," Optimus said, following without resistance. He looked over his shoulder at Rodimus. "We are going this way."

"I see that," Rodimus said. He kept the grin off his face, but Edana felt him laughing anyway.

x  
x  
x

Spike knew he was getting at least someone's attention when the President of the good old US of A called....in person. The Secret Service called him first of course, gave his offices the usual sweep much faster than usual and then took up silent, defensive positions around the room.

Shellshock took being scanned toe to lofty head with no comment other than an almost imperceptibly raised eyebrow. The pat down caused a huge, silent frown though and Spike noted that while his own pat down took several minutes, the agent got Shellshock's done in a mere seconds. The agent wore sunglasses. Shellshock did not, and yet somehow his eyes gave away less emotion. He took his place to Spike's left. While there were four Secret Service men, Spike's lone body guard out-massed and seemed to out-number the lot of them. If they were calm and cool, he was cold as the void between stars.

The president, surrounded by still more agents, strode brashly into Spike's office and stopped cold. His reddened face went pale and suddenly he only had eyes for Spike. Never once through their meeting did he cast a glance "Lance's" way.

"These new trade restrictions with the Autobots are intolerable! Do you really have the audacity to claim them as your own!?"

Spike decided to play dumb mechanic. "Yes Mr. President. Since I wrote them it seemed only right."

"Obviously you haven't given a single thought to the repercussions! You will increase the costs of everything we export by almost three percent! This will cost people jobs!"

Spike, with visions of dying children in his head, wanted to say that the people who were fired could always apply for the positions of the people who were being taken, but he didn't. "Three percent is a small price to pay, and if the Autobots don't see some progress keeping the riff-raff off Cybertron then they are going to start charging us for the clean-up, and the re-hab, and the foster care one way or another. You are going to play ball with them sooner or later, so why don't we just skip the part where we piss them off?"

"You have no notion of the ripple effect that will come of this, Ambassador Witwicky! It will have a world-wide detriment on the economy. People rely on this income to feed their families. You must convince them to scale this back!"

Ambassador Witwicky smiled cruelly. "Now, now Mr. President. I am a simple man. As you are so very fond of reminding me, I never went to Harvard, or to Yale. I don't have politics in my blood - I have motor oil and sweat. I grew up in garages and on oil rigs. So I must make things simple for you, as it is all I know. I see things as a mechanic does. If it is broken, you fix it. If it is too broken to fix it simply must be replaced with something that works. Simple. Contra-band, drugs, and crime are getting through. Smuggling is rampant. Result? My son died. See? Broken. Simple."

Spike stood and turned his back on Mr. President, finding his expansive view of the UN grounds much more interesting. His wolfish smile didn't fade a whit, and he knew the man behind him could see it in the reflection of the window. Shellshock was doing a fabulous job of pinioning the man with those eerie golden eyes, and Mr. President did an equally good job of staring at Spike's back. Really. Was Shellshock even breathing?

Spike grinned a bit wider and continued. "Now, you can try talking down to me about things you assume I don't understand. I surely know nothing of the early projections which say that the next generation on Cybertron is likely to cause at least a 5% increase in trade with Cybertron. You can feel comfortable that I don't see the political puppeteers pulling your strings...Mr. President. I surely know nothing of the corporations and shipping monopolies which funded your campaign. Make all the noise you like to keep them happy. You go right ahead. And I will tell the Autobots, and absolutely everyone else that you are not helping me fix what is broken... what got my son killed. Say...aren't you up for reelection next year?"

"You were appointed to this position," the president threatened weakly.

"Not by you," Spike countered. "And not by the UN either, no matter what the paper work says. The Autobots will work with no one else and even a simple man like myself knows you wouldn't dare anger them by suggesting they do so. Quit wasting my time."

"Ambassador I am trying to save you time!" the president said, suddenly sounding oh-so friendly. "There will be a lot of resistence and arguing from every country with trade interests with the Autobots."

"Then they will be wasting time too," Spike said. "These security upgrades are not negotiable. Optimus might have given you some concessions, but he's on leave. Rodimus is calling the shots on this right now. He is very serious about protecting their sparklings and let's not forget that Daniel was his best friend growing up. He takes my son's murder almost as personally as I do. Would you like me to arrange a meeting? He's not been in a great mood since the Sorie accord, but maybe he likes you. If he's busy I'm sure we can at least get Ultra Magnus to come... discuss things with you."

"No! That won't be necessary!" Really, the man was sweating now.

"That's probably for the best," Spike agreed, turning and bobbing his head. "Here...I'll give you a little insider's tidbit. Please understand I'm not entirely sure he was serious, but Rodimus did say something in passing to Magnus about restricting all of our ships to the port at Helix if our security measures didn't help."

"Helix! That's miles from Iacon! It will take all the goods longer to be distributed...and the backup! That port can't handle everything!" Mr. President was now gesturing pretty dramatically.

Again, Spike bobbed his head. "I think they are more concerned with security than delays, Mr. President. They are, after all, immortal. To make matters worse, I heard Magnus say that they would search each ship individually if they had to. He sounded like he was going to do it himself. Of course, if he were going to do it himself no one would get in with some much as a stolen pen."

"Individually! The backlog would take months! They don't have the man-power for that!"

"Autobot power," Spike corrected. "I agree and so did Rodi...he does tend to see things our way when it comes to getting things done. Probably got it hanging out at my house right after he was activated. Unfortunately his answer for that was to simply say if we can't get things done ourselves then they would just have to find some other suppliers. The Autobots are courting other systems, Mr. President. We are their best and closest allies, but we are no longer their only allies."

The president gripped the armrests of luxurious black leather. He was basically an honest man, if such a thing could be found in politics, and he was unaware of the slave trade which was driving these new initiatives. He did understand the problems of narcotics but he felt the Autobots were overreacting a bit to drugs that couldn't even affect their population. Not to say he wasn't aware they caused the Autobots some petty problems, but in this case Optimus Prime's squeaky clean morality seemed high handed. And Rodimus...Rodimus was so easy to work with there was often wishful speculation the Autobots might someday adopt term limits. Still, the President liked being president and felt he had worked too hard to get there for a mere four years.

If his cooperate supporters withdrew their support reelection was highly unlikely though. They would not be happy. For a moment, Mr. President resented that. They should be happy anyway. Spike's quote of 5% growth in trade was likely extremely low. He wondered for a moment if Spike actually knew that and was merely playing "simple mechanic." Ten minutes ago there would have been no debate about that.

Looking across the expansive desk, he saw Spike looking at him shrewdly. No...the man was no mere mechanic in the President's eyes anymore. Why were so many of his supporters so adamant about these new restrictions anyway? They were still looking at huge increases in revenue even if they had to meet stricter screening requirements!

The president was no idiot either, and figured he probably didn't want to know. Hmmm...maybe it was for the best that he lose some of them. Spike was being pretty clear that the Autobots, damn them, would do as they pleased. If these inspections turned up anything.... Besides, money was crucial to any campaign, but the general population of the world, Americans in particular, were as a whole devoted and grateful to the Autobots. Lack of funding made things difficult, but to be seen as alienating the Autobots? He wouldn't make it through THIS term if he did that!

Then there were those not-so subtle hints Spike kept throwing at him. The Ambassador got his job because he was close, personal friends with the Autobots. Everyone knew the stories. Spike had been their first contact. Had come into manhood in the Ark. Had been married at Metroplex! Maybe the reason this damnable man wasn't known for playing political games was because he didn't need to! The slightest hint Spike was being insulted, defied, or stonewalled and the idiot in question was likely to find a gaggle of irate Autobots at their door on their personal time! Forget about official action, which no doubt the Primes would take, they would have mutiny on their hands if they tried to stop the Autobots from dropping by for a little chat.

Rodimus would probably be first in line. Unofficially of course.

Spike had had this advantage for years. Why was he choosing to flex that particular muscle now? Did he know the risks he was taking?

"Fine, Mr. Ambassador! Don't say I didn't try to save you some trouble, but you can count on my support," the president said, smoothly keeping resignation and frustration out of his voice.

Spike smiled and bobbed his head once more. The president wasn't fooled for an instant.

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART H


	8. Chapter 8

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART H

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART G

Optimus would forever count his first hours with Edana as some of the most educational of his long life, although perhaps not the way she intended. She started by leading him to her tiny, cheerful room and undoing all of his efforts organizing her books. One by one they came off the shelf in what he had to assume was order of importance. Then she would either take him through the entire book or show him clearly critical pages. He sat on her bed and listened respectfully, while the pile of high priority information grew ever taller behind them.

From this he didn't not take away much new knowledge, but a sense of her intelligence and priorities. Clearly, Rodi's pleas for help worked better than expected, for she was plainly focusing her considerable energy on a mission to show Optimus human life.

Rodimus carried his other (now giggling) daughter around while reading one digipad after another. Occasionally he would pause by Edana's door and look in on them. His straight face was not at all convincing.

After about an hour though, he caught Op's eye from the doorway and mouthed, "Want a rescue?"

Optimus immediately shook his head and grinned. "This is critical information, so why don't you join us?"

Rodimus paused, Alex in one arm, digipads tucked under the other, and one in his hand. He scowled at the one in his hand as if it were trying to bite him. Optimus wondered if it was the really the workload or himself at the root of indecision.

Edana picked up on Rodi's reluctance. "Daddy knows all this stuff already Optimus. He has read all these books with me."

Optimus laughed, "I bet he has, and I bet they are still more fun to read than any old digipad."

Rodimus arched an eyebrow at his chuckling partner. "Can't argue with that!" he said, dropping the entire stack to the floor. "Besides, Alex doesn't know everything in here yet either. Maybe you can show her too." He sat down on Edana's other side. "What are we learning Teacher-Lady?"

"Fish! And swimming and turtles and stuff! Look Alex...it says the fish in the ocean sometimes nibble on your toes...maybe someday we'll get to swim where there are fish?" Edana paused, and stared at her father for a second.

He smiled at her, and said "Maybe," but she didn't believe him. His voice said one thing - everything else about him told her otherwise. She didn't feel angry about it, just resigned and sad, or maybe he felt resigned and sad and she was just catching it like a cold. So she shrugged like it didn't really matter, smiled at him, and then quickly turned back to her book and her "students."

About a mile south, and down two levels, an Autobot civilian named Rivet walked stiffly off her shift at the main production facility for the new creche devices. Her optics were dimmed with concentration just to keep her hands from shaking and her feet steady. Never in her 2 million years of life had she ever done anything this disobedient or this important.

She was so nervous she almost missed the line where her fellow workers were queuing up at the security check-point. Here it was single file, but up ahead it split into two. On the left was a security bot she didn't know, but on the right was her boyfriend Tocsin. As she dreaded, when it was time for her to choose a side, she broke unwritten law and followed the person ahead of her instead of heading left.

Her optics flared as she fretted. Someone would notice! She had just given herself away!

Tocsin was much better at this than she was. He didn't even glance her way. Instead he scanned the people ahead of her with his sub-space wand, making sure no one was smuggling parts out of the factory with their personal links to sub-space.

Which of course, was exactly what Rivet was doing. The line inched cheerfully forward. Autobots around her were happily discussing their progress and their increasing production. Soon, soon it would be their turn to make use of the very product they were producing.

"The serial number on my first completed creche was 241," said a happy femme in the line next to her.

The mech ahead of Rivet laughed. "You act like you built the whole thing yourself."

"Well...it is the first to have parts I made!" the femme cried, a bit defensive about it. I am going to wait until that one is available!"

There was laughter all around, although someone behind them shouted. "You shouldn't have to wait at all! You built it!"

"Yes," the femme said, "but I didn't sign up until three days ago. I don't mind waiting."

This sparked off a heated debate among the workers, causing the guard on the left to shout, "Settle down! We can't get you out of here with all that noise!" The volume did reduce, but the arguing went on in whispers and mutters all around. Rivet didn't say a word. She just took one step after another, keeping her optics locked on the road out into Iacon over Tocsin's shoulder.

Finally, she was next in line.

Tocsin scanned the mech in front of her. As he swept the bot's back he caught the edge of his scanner on the worker's elbow and dropped the scanner with an aggravated curse. The other guard kept working, but cheerfully teased Tocsin for his fumble.

"Oh sure," Tocsin retorted. "I've never seen you send that thing flying!"

A mech about ten back hollered, "He hit me in the optic two days ago!"

All the muttering dissolved into laughter Rivet was too nervous to share. Besides, she was speechless with Tocsin's acting skills. He was so cavalier about it she almost forgot the drop was scripted.

Stepping forward automatically, she allowed herself to be scanned and braced herself against jumping. It didn't matter. She hopped and yelped when the alarms sounded.

Tocsin didn't even look at her. He shook his scanner and cursed at it. "Hold on...um...?"

"Rivet!" Rivet squeaked.

"Hold on Rivet. I think I may have to reboot this damned thing," Tocsin told her smoothly, his voice the perfect parody of unconcerned annoyance. He fiddled with the buttons, powering down his wand.

The other guard turned the alarms off and asked, "Do we need to fetch another new one?"

"No...I've almost got it," Tocsin said. He passed the wand over her again, using her body to shield the wand from his partner. Rivet fought not to stare at the unlit power indicator. "You're clear Rivet," he said cheerfully. "Have a nice day!"

Rivet nodded a speechless thank you and counted every careful step up to the road home.

x  
x  
x

"Are you hungry?" Rodimus asked.

Optimus considered. "Uh...I think so."

Rodimus frowned at his partner. "I wasn't asking you. I am distraught to inform you that you share Magnus' appetite. It will probably bankrupt you and Elita. I was talking to you Madam Teacher," he clarified, looking at his daughter.

"Yup," she drawled.

"Weirdo," Rodi told her. "Hit the kitchen...and I don't mean literally this time!" Too late. She had already sped off ahead of them and was giggling maniacally. They heard the table getting smacked.

"Sense of humor," Optimus noted scientifically. "Hmm...."

"You do not need to point that out," Rodimus complained, picking Alex up with a good bit more swing than he had to. She giggled as well.

"Also a sense of humor there," Optimus pointed out. "Hmmm.... Do you think they get it from Lancer?"

Rodimus ran down several suitable options and settled for sticking out his tongue.

"Ahh..." Optimus said. "How very...un-Primish."

The giggling from the kitchen stopped pretty abruptly.

"Being the first Prime to ever have the opportunity to stick out a tongue, I consider myself a trend-setter," Rodimus said, plunking Alex over his shoulders for a very quick ride to the kitchen. "Hey Godzilla! This will be your first taste of my cooking!" He jogged her out of the bedroom.

"Looks like you need new shocks to me," Optimus told him, enjoying an easy chance to tease his partner. "And new brake lights! Warn the traffic behind you when you stop!"

"Edana?" Rodimus asked a bit shrilly. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The little girl was standing on one of the kitchen chairs with her visor-like glasses up on her head. Both hands were propped on the table as she leaned forward, staring into the Matrix with her pale eyes.

"Wow...." she said.

"Edana! Don't touch that!" Rodi cried, putting Alex unceremoniously down on the floor and running for the kitchen.

"I'm not touching it! I'm looking at it! It's pretty. None of the crystals at home look like this one," Edana said.

"You can't touch that," Rodimus told her. "Alex shouldn't either. Sorry Lady Girl...I forgot to tell you that before."

"I won't. Mom told me not to," Edana said. Then she stared into it again and frowned. "Hey Daddy?"

"What?" Rodimus said, taking a deep breath and trying to look like he hadn't just been panicking.

"If you are over there...and Optimus is way over there...how come it also feels like both of you are in here too?" Edana asked.

x  
x  
x

Cyclonus counted the trip as one of the most surreal of his life. Viper rode in his cockpit silently while he picked his way through to Cybertron. He waited, hidden behind some old debris that had probably once been a shuttle.

Humans should really learn to throw away their trash.

He watched Viper fidget impatiently, but she didn't disturb his concentration. He had to admit, he was impressed she was behaving herself. He was worried about carrying her, even though it had been his idea. Once they were in space, she had free access to his circuits, and he had no doubt she was... adept...enough to cause him torment even in vehicle mode.

Not a word from her. Nor an illicit digit anywhere. He wished the rest of the Decepticons handled terror that well.

Finally, a cargo ship of suitable size puttered past. Cyclonus went from motionless to near light speed in one smooth burst. The extreme slow-down that followed wasn't quite as smooth, but he successfully skirted just inches beneath the freighter's hull and matched pace with it. They waited tensely, but the freighter's course and speed remained steady towards the warp gate. Cyclonus had either not been noticed at all by the ship's sensors or he slipped under them so quickly the blip was dismissed as debris. He maintained his proximity - ever alert for the slightest change in the freighter's motion. A few times the ship wobbled and he had to drop or dip his foils to one side or another to avoid being hit.

The cargo vessel was so slow, the jump gate seemed to be approaching them, rather than the other way around. Finally, the hulking ship heaved itself through the warp gate and into Cybertron's airspace.

x  
x  
x

Rodimus morphed.

Alex sniffed. Alex shrieked.

Optimus and Edana both clamped their hands over their ears.

Rodimus stomped - very audibly - over to his kitchen table and snatched the Matrix off without a word.

Optimus flinched at both the fury on his partner's face and the vibration from his feet that seemed to run up Optimus' legs and into his chest every time Rodimus' steps hammered the floor. It made him even more appreciative of the humans who could take working with Magnus. The City Commander would never know how many humans transferred in and out of Metroplex in the early days - mostly because Magnus scarcely noticed them. The most common complaint was not his strict discipline or his optic for detail - EDC personnel were trained for that - it was the way he stormed around.

Ah, this adventure was so enlightening. Still, even these fascinating new insights did not stop Optimus from taking note when Rodimus thundered out of the room with the Matrix and without a word.

For a brief, crazy second Optimus wondered if the sacred crystal was in danger.

The doors into Rodimus' normal quarters remained open and both Edana and Optimus flinched when there was an enormous crash, followed by an equal clatter, and then another crash. Edana looked pale and distressed. Alex screamed herself purple. Optimus met Edana's eyes and they flinched again in unison when there was a final, furious slam from the other section. A moment of understanding passed between them.

"He's afraid," Edana told Optimus, although he could only see her lips moving. Alex was that loud. "That's why he's mad."

Optimus nodded. "I know." She couldn't hear him either.

The noise from the outside had stopped, but it was several minutes while Rodimus pulled himself together. Optimus caught a flash of something from the Matrix that frankly shocked him.

Amusement.

It was clearly making a point to him. Don't worry. This is fine.

Certainly it didn't look fine at all when Rodimus came back into the room with his face blank and his optics pulsing in erratic flashes.

"What did you do?!" Optimus demanded. "Rodimus! Where is it?!"

"It's in my weapons cabinet!" Rodimus growled. Only then did he seem to notice Alex shrieking and morphed back down. He ignored his partner's shocked, furious expression and picked her up.

"Sorry I scared you Lady Madness," he tried.

"NO!" she told him and pushed. Apparently she found his scowling face less than comforting. He rolled his eyes and made a more visible effort to relax. She wailed a few moments longer just on principle and then finally surrendered to his attempts to soothe her.

Optimus was not so easily mollified, although the Matrix continued to send him pulses of what he could only think of as laughter.

"You put THE MATRIX in with your guns?" Optimus accused.

"No. I dumped my guns out onto the desk and put the Matrix in the cabinet by itself!" Rodimus snarled. "Then I locked it! NOTHING'S gonna touch it in there!"

"I didn't touch it!" Edana cried. "I didn't! I was only looking Daddy! Honest! It had such pretty swirls moving around."

"I know you weren't touching with your fingers hon...but I want you to shield it out. Do that for me please? Don't touch it at all! Not even with your empathy! Got that?"

"It's nice. It didn't try to hurt me! Why are you so scared?"

"Edana...." Rodimus lowered his voice.

"No! I know you're mad 'cause it scared you. Why?"

"That's way over the line Edana," Rodimus said. She stared at him, and clamped her mouth shut, listening in one sense, but Optimus read rebellion in every muscle.

Laughter from the Matrix...laughter from within. He had seen that "surrender" from her father. Chin up...eyes lit...shoulders back and defiant. Oh sure...she was certainly capitulating. Optimus suddenly found himself suppressing chuckles that would probably get him killed right now.

Rodimus was obviously not fooled by his offspring and he stared at her until she finally sighed and nodded a bit more convincingly. Her lip trembled but she didn't cry.

"Right," Rodimus said. "Now sit down and tell me what you want for dinner. Try not to make it too gross OK?"

x  
x  
x

Rivet rolled up to the designated shuttle bay in Helix about 10 hours after leaving the plant, once again wondering how she had gotten herself into this small group of law-breakers...even if she wasn't sure she agreed with the law. In ones and twos they arrived - looking over their shoulders and speaking in low voices. Amateur thieves and conspirators to the last, although Tocsin made it look easy.

She supposed working for millions of years in law enforcement was good training for becoming an outstanding criminal. All the same set of skills wasn't it? Looking for weaknesses in security, and playing mind games with the opposite side.

He rolled in about an hour after she did. She stared at his special emblems, indicating he was part of Nightbeat's patrols, and ultimately under Kup's jurisdiction. Under those were three special decals indicating exemplary service and one for courage. He had pulled eight civilians out of the fires during Trypticon's last attack. Even now the badges gleamed from repeated polishing. Pride. He was so proud to be of service to his people.

She was equally proud to be his girl although she understood why he didn't want anyone to know about their relationship. He loved her, but as he said, she was so mousy and frail it would damage his image to be seen with her. In any case, the secrecy had made their deception at the check-point possible. Tocsin had such amazing fore-sight it left her sparkless.

No wonder he was repeatedly decorated. He was a hero, and he deserved recognition.

That was probably what spurred him to cobble this group of malcontents together. For all his valor, when they applied for a sparkling they were not moved forward on the list. How his optics had flared when he was told they would have to wait months for a creche, just two days after being assigned to guard the production facility. She hadn't seen the chair he'd thrown in time to duck, but she'd promised him to be more alert next time.

Her medical training allowed her to repair the damage before anyone saw her. That was good. Her clumsiness was a perpetual source of embarrassment.

None of the "rebels" really knew each other. Tocsin was the common link between them and he had instructed them not to introduce themselves in case anyone was caught. There seemed to be four couples other than her and Tocsin. Two mech/femme pairs, one mech/mech pair, and one femme/femme "pair" who were simply friends but claimed they wanted two sparklings so they could each raise one.

Rivet shyly asked if any of them had been denied the right to a sparking, and was not surprised to hear no. To the last, they all felt slighted by being told to wait. One of the mechs had helped design the Creche Production Plant. Another, like Rivet, was a medic who felt the medical community should have hands on experience with sparklings before the general public.

Rivet wasn't sure she agreed with that. If all the medics were busy with their own younglings, who would the rest of Cybertron turn to for help? She didn't say anything though.

One was an engineer who was supervising Creche assembling, one was helping build the first school...they all were being good contributors and they had all been told to wait. Even more important, they all had either access or know-how to the parts and processes of building a working creche, except the mech/mech pair. They owned the shuttle.

Everyone filed into the small but immaculate vessel with their hidden parts or blueprints. Once inside those with the know-how began putting things together.

x  
x  
x

Cyclonus knew using the same trick twice in a row was bad strategy but time was against them for other methods. Unfortunately Autobots were more meticulous than their human allies and he was forced to let himself tumble and drift behind some natural asteroid debris about half his size.

Viper lashed herself in for this maneuver - otherwise she'd be bouncing all over his cockpit.

"It's a good thing I don't get motion sickness," Viper complained.

Motion sickness?

"Motion sickness?" Cyclonus asked, too surprised to censor himself. "Isn't...isn't that a fleshling malady?"

He scanned Viper with his internal sensors. Her optics were flaring. It was a long moment before she answered him.

"Certainly. Vile aren't they?"

"Vile indeed," Cyclonus said. He was confused though. That comment seemed so...personal...as if she knew what it meant. He decided not to press the issue, but he wouldn't forget it either. All the while he watched Cybertron, hoping they were far enough out to avoid the most accurate scanners and close enough in to pounce when a likely target presented itself.

x  
x  
x

"Your paranoia about the Matrix is misplaced and completely unbecoming of a Prime!" Optimus insisted, fighting not to raise his voice. He stood shoulder to shoulder with his partner who was preparing their meal on the stove. Alex was shackled in her high chair, diligently working on the straps. Edana sulked in her seat.

"Shove it," Rodimus told him. "And hand me that spoon please."

Optimus felt the Matrix prod him again with laughter. It wasn't concerned about it's location. There was another current of emotion now too. Drop it. Don't fight with him.

Optimus felt the concern, but it was like a tiny whisper of cool air under the fire-storm of his anger.

"What are you making?" Optimus asked.

"Macaroni and cheese. Just like yesterday," Rodimus said.

"That's not the same pan," Optimus accused.

"Yeah...um....today there are five people eating," Rodimus pointed out.

"Four," Optimus corrected automatically.

"Five!" Rodimus snapped. "Lancer eats too and when she gets back from cleaning up YOUR planet I think she deserves a meal!"

"Daddy," Edana interjected.

"I didn't think of that!" Optimus defended, handing Rodimus the indicated spoon.

"Yes. Thinking is hard for you with all those holes in your brain," Rodimus said with exaggerated sympathy.

"Daddy!" Edana cried, straightening. She frowned when he didn't turn to look at her.

"Lemme point out something else you may not have thought of. Edana is an empath. My kids are Matrix sensitive by Jabez design! We have no way of knowing what will happen if she interacts with it!"

"It won't hurt her Rodi! It wouldn't hurt her!"

"You don't know that! IT doesn't even know that! I know it would never intentionally hurt her, but there is nothing in either of your stupidly long histories that even compares with this situation!" Rodimus snarled.

"Daddy I'm sorry! Please don't fight!" Edana pleaded.

"You act like it's a malicious force, not the light of our people!" Optimus complained bitterly. "Do you want this box now?" He rattled a box of pasta labeled "Kraft" in blue, holographic letters.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because the water hasn't boiled yet," Rodimus said impatiently. "It takes forever when Lancer isn't here....and I don't think the Matrix is malicious! I just don't want her wandering around in there! What if she ran into my memories? Or even yours?! I do not think millions of years of warfare belongs in the head of my six year old kid! I'm just not taking any chances. Do you get that?"

"Yes! I get that! Do you get that it is disrespectful to have it in your gun cabinet?!" Optimus argued, gesturing wildly with his box of macaroni.

Rodimus held the spoon like a weapon. "Do you have a better idea you all-knowing bastard? 'Cause if you do I'd love to hear it!"

"QUIT FIGHTING!" Edana screamed. Then she sobbed and curled up on her chair. Alex giggled and went to work on her second buckle.

The warring Autobot commanders instantly transformed into two shame-faced, guilty men. Rodimus moved (still holding his spoon) and caught her up. She clung to him and just cried.

Rodi threw Optimus an accusatory glare, and even though Edana couldn't see his face, she turned her embrace into a small thud of her fist on his back.

"Quit it! Quit it! You get mad when you're worried too!"

"Rodi..." Optimus started to interject.

Rodimus glared at him and shook his head sharply. Optimus frowned but subsided and let Rodimus deal with his daughter.

"I know Edana...sweetie we are just having a hard time, that's all. It isn't your fault. You know that right? Besides, Optimus doesn't need to worry about the Matrix. It might not be in the most usual place right now, but it's safe anyway."

"Rodi..." Optimus, said, a bit more urgently.

"He's not worried about the Matrix! He's worried about you!" Edana stated ferociously.

Rodimus drew back and stared at his daughter, a bit surprised at both her statement and her vehemence.

"Rodimus!" Optimus ordered.

"What?!"

"The water's boiling over," Optimus pointed out calmly.

"Shit!"

"Ooo...I'm telling Mom!"

x  
x  
x

"I wish I could teleport," Cyclonus grumbled to himself.

"I wish you could too," Viper agreed. This time they tettered on their ferrying ship - which just so happened to be a Junkion vessel.

Cyclonus could just hear the Autobots having a few things to say about that and was more fearful getting caught now than he'd ever been.

"Do you have any idea what we're going to do when we get there?" Viper asked.

"None whatsoever," Cyclonus answered dryly.

He expected some snide remark from her, but all he got was a distracted, "Me either."

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART I


	9. Chapter 9

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART I

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART H

"Butter."

"Butter," Edana said, slapping a whole stick into her father's hand.

"Salt," Rodi smiled.

"Salt," Edana answered, handing it over and grinning a bit.

"I feel like I'm watching Ratchet and Wheeljack," Optimus smiled.

"Well, be glad you aren't. Wheeljack would find a way to make this explode even though none of the ingredients are explosive," Rodimus told him. "Quit changing the subject. Why are you worried about me? I am not the one locked up in the gun cabinet. I thought you were freaking out over the Matrix." He looked at his elder daughter. "Spoon."

"It's in your hand," Optimus pointed out, and continued when Rodimus just rolled his eyes and started stirring. "I don't recall freaking out either. I am upset though. I guess what bothers me most is not that the Matrix is actually sitting on a shelf in your quarters, it's this attitude that it is better off there! You are a Prime! Like it or not it's a part of who you are! You need it!"

"Yeah, well I also need a time machine and magical powers, and the ability to erase memories and heal all wounds, but life is rough and all," Rodimus said.

"Have you never considered that maybe it needs you too?" Optimus whispered.

Rodimus stared into Optimus for a long moment. "Life is rough," he finally muttered into his pan.

"He doesn't mean to hurt your feelings," Edana told Optimus Prime. "He's scared again."

Rodimus looked down at her and feigned offense. "Hey Traitor. You don't need to blab everything to him ya know."

"Yes I do. You guys are weird Daddy," Edana informed him seriously.

"Can't argue with that," Rodimus said, arching a brow and looking over his humanized partner. "We are about as weird as they come."

Optimus chuckled a bit. "Insightful offspring you have. I think she may be on to something."

"Go siddown...Weirdo. Dinner, at this fine establishment is about to be served."

x  
x  
x

Pagan dropped her friends off on the roof of the derelict warehouse. They unlinked arms and Lancer looked over her shoulder. From here, she could see the tall spire of Central, rising up above Iacon like the mast of a ship. It glittered like the stars behind it, although she knew none of the lights she could see belonged to her mate's secret quarters.

She smiled slightly to herself, feeling Rodi's bemusement as their oldest educated Optimus on the many ways to play with your macaroni and cheese. Edana's silliness was no surprise at all, nor, really, was Optimus' willingness to indulge a child. What had Rodi perplexed was Op's unfeigned enthusiasm for sucking all of the cheese off his meal so they could attempt to use the pasta for breathing tubes.

"Get your mind on business Girl," Talon chided her.

Lancer nodded, did her best to block her mate, and laid her hand on the roof top - looking for the security systems.

x  
x  
x

"What do you mean we are still missing a part?" Tocsin growled menacingly at the engineer.

"We are still missing a part. The processor that femme brought is...."

Tocsin turned on his mate with flaring optics, "You grabbed a defective processor?!"

Rivet, being a medic, almost, not an engineer, wouldn't have known a defective processor from an upgrade. She simply had access to them since she was part of the team studying the process by which the processor's "read' the specs of unborn sparks.

"I'm sorry! I just grabbed the first one th..."

Tocsin's arm swung from the shoulder and connected across her face hard enough to echo through the shuttle's hold. She fell against the wall and held her jaw. There were cries of alarm and shock from the others.

The femme engineer scurried to clarify. "It's not her fault! The processor is a slightly newer model! We need an extra coupler to connect it! That's all! You can buy them anywhere!"

Tocsin looked down at the engineer and asked. "You sure? We can't afford any more delays." The robot nodded rapidly, throwing Rivet a guilty glance.

"Are you OK Rivet?" Tocsin asked. She nodded. "It's Ok. I know you didn't do anything wrong," he continued. "It means so much to me that we make my sparkling as soon as we can. I...we deserve that Rivet! After everything I've done for this world we should have been asked to go first! I'm just tense, that's all."

"I know Tocsin. You're under a lot of stress. I'm sorry I upset you," Rivet said sincerely.

She couldn't understand why the others looked so shocked or disgusted.

x  
x  
x

Both Rodimus and Optimus Prime noted the same thing separately. They also concluded separately that it was probably best left undiscussed.

Distractions were good for them.

If they could keep their hands busy and their minds at lest partially on other things, they could have a real conversation without over-reacting. Mostly.

If they did over-react having two small children to censor themselves for was somehow much easier than censoring what they wanted to say for the sake of each other. On the occasion something did get past their guard, Edana would throw Optimus a distressed look. Rodimus got less respect and usually received a one word condemnation. "Mean!"

All of this while Edana showed Optimus all the games he and Jazz had played with and then some. Apparently, he was her new best friend. Rodimus watched them play with occasional pointers for one or the other. The rest of the time he spent goofing around with Alex.

"Making up for lost time?" Optimus asked him at one point.

"No...can't do that, but at least I can see to it that the next time Lancer leaves her with me, she doesn't scream in terror" Rodimus said.

Edana winced and said, "She will anyway. She gets mad at Mom for going."

x  
x  
x

"Mom" was currently being floated past some of the most complex security grids she'd ever seen. She bit her lip to keep from growling in frustration. Lines of infra-red and ultra-violet lasers criss-crossed the ventilation shaft she was floating in, pressure sensors so sensitive they would detect a change in air pressure lined the floor. The worst part was the grid kept shifting at random intervals.

One second she'd be free and clear, the next the whole grid would flicker and spin - forcing her to freeze and wait until she could adjust her absorption levels to match.

Good at this as she was, she was sweating with tension. Fortunately Malice could hold the drops suspended too.

Lancer bared her fangs in a silent grimace. Four connections to go, but the first 8 had taken her five minutes. The time factor scared her the most. Three connections to go. Then the security lasers shifted grids again and she stopped, concentrating on allowing the frequency through her body as if she wasn't there.

In theory this was a simple task for an energy shaper. Match the grids that passed through the area so the beams remained constant and didn't sound the alarms. The end of the shaft was guarded by a simple vent - all she need do was remove it so they could pass. Except there were 12 contact points with very low levels of power flowing through them that also had to be maintained and also kept changing.

Concentration, concentration.

She could have never done this without Malice's help and was glad the telekinetic could now be relied on to keep her powers steady without tiring.

Lancer found and matched the wavelength on the next contact.

The grid shifted....

Lancer couldn't spare the focus to curse to herself. In her mind's eye she saw each power line as a thread - as if she were holding a series of different colored strings between her fingers. Except they pierced her fingers. What went into her was from the grid. What came out was from her. Every time the "color" of each line changed she had to match it in an instant, so that the computer monitoring would read no interruption. There were dozens of lines already, and each one she picked up compounded her need to match them all. Oh and they were so fragile - like tiny eyelashes on a new-born child. Spider's silk.

Two connections to go.

One.

Zero.

Lancer went to move the vent's grate aside and froze.

Was there just a bit more power?

Was she done?

It was all she could do to keep from collapsing but....

Something minor....something was just slightly off.... Was it just that she was over-reaching dealing with too many gossamer fine strands of light?

It took all she had to reach out, to search around without tearing her work asunder.

There.

There you are.

One final laser. No connection on her side - that was how she almost missed it. A motion detector. One tiny infra-red beam that hit the front side of the grate where it would be invisible to anyone in the shaft. So tiny it was almost unnoticeable, and yet if you moved the grate out of place.....

Lancer reached through, matched it, and moved the grate. Malice somehow floated it out into the room without losing her grip on Lancer at all. Then came the tricky part.

Lancer had to let Kain into her mind. She had to endure the cold disdain of the telepath so he could link her to Malice's more friendly thoughts. Kain raised his arms above his head. Malice picked the reptilian telepath up, and locked his limbs and tail into place - effectively turning him into a Drazi torpedo. Then she floated him down the shaft after Lancer, who remained there to maintain the energy grid through her friends now too.

Kain moved down the shaft in quick jerks and stops. Malice pushed him as far as she could and then froze him whenever Lancer felt the grid changing until the energy shaper could adjust. That was why the link between the three of them was crucial - words took too long. Besides, the shaft was rigged for sound too.

Malice's most delicate work came when she had to maneuver Kain and Lancer past each other without touching the walls. Lancer was glad for her armor as the Drazi's rough scales slid along her body.

Once Kain was in, things got easier. By far the largest of their group, he took the longest to get past her, although Talon's chunky body caused some friction too. Lancer caught a glint in the ex-EDC operative's eyes as Malice maneuvered him along Lancer's body.

The mutant sighed to herself and decided the man was enjoying himself more than he should. Malice was last and easiest. No longer anorexic, the telekinetic was still a tiny person. She slipped past Lancer into the air before them, pulled the assassin the rest of the way out of the shaft, and replaced the grate.

Lancer felt the connections reset and gasped with relief as she let her web fall. Malice set her friend gently down on the ground and Lancer found her legs wouldn't hold her. Shaking, she just let herself fold onto the ground in a puddle.

"Fucking paranoid assholes," she whispered to no one in particular.

"Not paranoid enough," Talon pointed out dryly. "Ya did it Girl."

The mutant sat up and forced air into her lungs to get her limbs back. Even Kain was patient with her for once, and held the five Converted guards that surrounded them frozen with his telepathy until she was able to stand.

x  
x  
x

"I would have never gotten in there by myself," Rodimus muttered to himself.

"Hmm?" Optimus asked. He rolled the dice. "I get to go six spaces," he told Edana very seriously.

"Optimus Prime! You can count better than that!" Edana laughed at him. "You only got five."

"Oh you're right, very sorry," Optimus said sincerely. He moved his little truck six spaces.

Rodimus looked up in Optimus' direction, but his eyes remained unfocused on space behind the senior Prime. Edana moved Optimus' piece back a space with an exasperated sigh. Optimus' shoulders shook.

"The place Lancer's hitting tonight. Way tighter security than I imagined. I scoped it out pretty thoroughly but it looks like what I saw was meant to be misleading," Rodimus said.

"Does that mean it's an important place?" Edana asked.

"Probably," Rodimus answered her.

She stared seriously at him for a moment. Then she turned back to her playmate. "You owe me two-hundred dollars Optimus Prime."

x  
x  
x

Ships came and went around them, and Tocsin's pacing grew more erratic after they missed their first launch time. He had agreed, reluctantly, to keep their little project on Cybertron until the creche was complete. Luckily. There were two more parts they needed to obtain before they were through that none of them had realized they needed.

Rivet was relieved when it wasn't her fault this time, even indirectly. She felt she had caused enough trouble for one day.

One of the femmes pulled her aside. "Why do you put up with that?"

"Put up with what?" Rivet asked.

"With his temper! With him hitting you like that!" the yellow and white stranger asked.

"Oh...you don't know him. He loves me. I just do such stupid things sometimes and he's so much smarter than I am," Rivet explained.

The femme looked dubious, and a bit disgusted. Rivet understood. Sometimes she disgusted herself too. Behind them, the engineers slowly cobbled the creche together.

x  
x  
x

"Cyclonus!" Viper hissed. "Cyclonusss! Wake up...we've landed."

The Decepticon second had powered down to avoid detection and came to a bit slowly.

"Are they unloading?" he asked.

"Unloading? Don't be stupid! This is a Junkion ship! They aren't going to unload till they get back to Junk! They are loading you moron! We need to move before they bury us!" Viper's voice reflected more than mere urgency to hurry and save her life.

Cyclonus grinned to himself. She hated getting dirty. He was just cruel enough to open his hatch to let her out just while he was still onboard the barge. She disembarked on two feet, although the snake form would have been quieter and more graceful. Each step was higher than it had to be.

Cyclonus knew staying clean was already a lost cause for him, but he did lift off enough to ensure no major chunks of garbage got stuck in his gears as he transformed. His purple shell showed very little purple and he dripped black and green puddles onto the ground when he landed.

"A Paradronian could track you by scent right now," Viper complained.

"Indeed," Cyclonus answered. "We will have to remedy that before we can begin our mission."

x  
x  
x

Lancer's team realized almost immediately that all of the blueprints they had thought to follow were garbage. Even what Robert was scanning from the ship turned out to be false impressions. He started working on it immediately but getting the real layout would take time.

The room they came out into was smaller than they expected but they weren't positive they were in trouble until they opened the door. They thought they were heading into an old Cybertronian housing and office facility. Instead what they found had been redesigned for organic use....starting with the 12 foot high ceilings. The majority of Cybertron's population was clearly not welcomed here. The fact that the tiles were hexagon shaped did nothing to endear any of them to the decor.

They left the exterior rooms alone and gutted the inside! Lancer sent to her companions. Kain winced and glared at her. He always had to "listen" extra hard to the rest of the team. Malice and Talon had a hard time focusing and making themselves "heard" over the background noise of their stream-of-consciousness thoughts.

Kain described it as like trying to hear a whisper through a crowd where all the voices are the same.

Lancer, on the other hand, was very used to conversing with her mate. They both had learned to filter out the general flow of normal thought and "listen" for something specifically directed at them. This also made them adept at projecting. Kain was forced to over-sensitize himself for the sake of the others, and Lancer's more focused communication was over-kill.

He repeatedly asked her to be more discreet in her sending to him, and she repeatedly tried. She just didn't have the first clue how to do it. Surely he could have taught her to be more adroit, but he loathed her and had no plans to spend the time it would take in her company. Kain seemed perfectly happy to be disgusted and contemptuous of her lack of finesse, and she had long ago decided that she was equally happy to cause him discomfort if it gave him something to feel superior about.

She made no effort to keep that notion to herself either.

In any case, all four of them, well, five if you counted Shellshock's hologram, crept along through multi-roomed halls. Robert's annoying tracking com-eyes made ten. However you wanted to count them, they were lost. Looking for computer records to hack was usually more successful when one knew where the computer was.

They decided staying together made more sense since none of them know where they were or where they were going. Instead of Transformers' style apartments what faced them was a long, long hallway with security cameras every twenty feet, trip-wire lasers only Lancer could see all the way down the hall, 15 armored doors and a converted guard in front of each and every door. Malice and Lancer began scanning them one at a time with their hand held scanners.

Paranoid assholes,Talon sent, doing his best to "project" like Kain wanted. He succeeded a bit too well, because the head on every CV rotated towards them simultaneously.

x  
x  
x

"Hurry it up!" Tocsin rasped. "I'm due for my shift in an hour and people will start asking questions when I don't turn up!"

Rivet thought she heard a slight, rasping noise on the hull of the ship but she didn't think to say anything. She was so nervous she was certain Sentinal Prime, Prime Nova, and all the esteemed leaders of yore were set to come scold them and beat them into repenting.

"I was due back to work two hours ago," one of the engineers pointed out.

"You aren't on Nightbeat's patrol," Tocsin scoffed. "They will just assume you are slacking. I have never been late for shift. Ever."

"Well," one of the Bots working on the creche snapped, "You aren't the only one! Your attitude is getting very old. If you're in such a hurry you can quit whining and help us build this creche!"

"I'm not an engineer!" Tocsin shouted. "Now finish that thing before someone starts looking for us! I wanted to be off world hours ago. We have refuge in Lenark, but only if we get there before the authorities start looking for us! The Lenarkians will hide us, but they won't fight for us!"

Suddenly the door to the shuttle whisked open. Tocsin whirled and fired but his bolts flew over the long, low body that flashed into the room quicker than their optics could follow. Two faint thuds of metal on metal echoed dully through the room and the two Autobots closest to the door froze in place. Rivet's hand strangled her own mouth in a muffled scream. Semi-medic though she was she had never seen a robot's spark snuffed so immediately. Cause of death was somewhat slower to become apparent - twin punctures of steaming acid in the chest plates of both robots grew from tiny pin-points to gaping holes. The spread of destruction was the only point of movement on either grey body.

The darkness at the base of the ship was violated by a pair of flaring red optics and a foul aroma. Tocsin fired again. This time he hit squarely, only to see his bolt bounce off.

The black whip whirled his direction but a low, laughing voice said, "Viper...leave him. I want to know what his plans are before you kill him." The moving shadow came up the ramp and the lightning fast coil resolved itself into the light as well.

Rivet's mind was stalled with shock. It only gave her words, not thoughts. Decepticons. Purple. Filthy. Cyclonus. Snake. Traitor. Viper.

They were all familiar with the individual's amongst the enemy. It was part of their education....and yet Rivet had never seen a Decepticon before. Even when they evacuated Paradron (which some still argued was an unnecessary hoax) she hadn't laid eyes on one. She'd just run with the herd, following the orders of the warning sirens.

Now she stared at the symbol on Cyclonus' chest as if mesmerized.

Cyclonus strode up the ramp and snagged Tocsin's weapon out of his hand contemptuously. Then the scarlet optics on the tall Con flared and he laughed. "It's our lucky day Viper. These kind Autobots have assembled a creche for us! And here we were just looking for the nearest cleansing station!"

x  
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x

Whatever alarms were being sounded were not audible to Lancer or her friends. It didn't matter, for they were surely being sounded. More Converts poured into the white hall by the second, through a hexagonal, telescoping door. They wore the uniform grey of Jabez owned guards, and none of the team liked the implications.

Secrecy was clearly not a priority any longer, not that Lancer was really capable of that right now anyway. Thinking really wasn't high on her priority list either. This place prodded at two sides of her - her furious demonic side that was very unhappy with an installation like this just miles from her mate and children, and the side that relived Rodi's torture with him every time he flashed or dreamt. The calculating, professional assassin was taking a powder and the berserk demon was having a turn.

If it moved, it died. Simple. In this state her senses seemed amplified, and her inhibitions towards violence eradicated. Sinking fangs to the gum line into warm, human flesh would make her retch most of the time, but right now it felt rewarding.

Talon, a bit more fastidious about how much gore he wore home than Lancer, threw grenades. CV telekinetics interspersed in the CV squad knocked them back. Malice blocked them again, turned them around, and cupped a shield that flipped all sides of the blast back at their enemies for good measure. Talon grinned every time one went off and bits of CV's flew like pop corn. A few seconds of that and it was no longer possible to tell what color the walls and floor were. This did slow down the flood of opponents a bit as many of the CV's coming at them slipped on the gore by the doorway at the end of the hall.

It might have been funny, but none of them ever forgot that these were the walking remains of innocent people, not really their enemies.

Unfortunately CV's could neither panic or feel embarrassment so they were mostly up too fast to take out while they sat. Not that Lancer and Talon didn't give it a try. Talon shot everything he could target and his aim was superb. With mutants targets though, the results varied a lot wider than his aim did. Lancer as a rule, lanced first and drew second. If her target was vulnerable to energy-based attacks she made one hell of a mess. If that failed for whatever reason, her next tactic was to try drawing the energy right out of her opponents' nerve cells, leaving them dead on their feet. If that failed she ricocheted through the left-overs with claw and tooth.

Mostly however, this fight belonged to the class-ones. Malice and Kain accounted for 75 percent of the CV's that were attacking them, and even they were tiring. When the hall became choked Malice became a telekinetic trash compactor. Kain's victims died on their feet. One hundred bodies on the floor. Two hundred. The CV's just kept coming.

"What the hell kind of ant hill have we stirred up?" Talon cried to Malice. His opponent opened her mouth until it stretched down past her shoulders and let out a wail that paralyzed them all for a second. Kain telepathically throttled her dead mind and Talon shot her point blank.

"I don't know," Malice answered desperately. "But they aren't sparing the Converts! Maybe we should open this place up for a look! Lancer! Get back here! I'm tearing the lid off!"

Lancer instead rolled past Talon in a tight ball, pushed herself off in an abrupt handstand, and clamped her foot talons around the head of an encroaching CV. She reversed her motion and brought the Convert's whole body over head first. It's skull collapsed against the floor. She reached into the open skull and pulled out the Conversion chip in the split second before the small self-destruct went off.

They had all made similar collections during the fight, as usual. By randomly plucking chips for analysis, they all hoped to find clues about the programmer's motives. Lancer seemed to be out to break records for fresh specimens today, and she went directly from that kill on to catch another CV by the throat with her right foot, and pull another in to rip its jugular with her teeth.

Malice, spotless as though fresh-showered, looked a bit green over the sight of Lancer spitting out chunks of CV. The assassin growled and didn't really hear her friend telling her to fall back. Malice frowned and the demon-lady suddenly flew backwards across the room as if jerked by an invisible leash. Malice set her next to Talon who subtly edged away from the snarling mutant. Kain progressed back behind Malice's protection at his own, gory pace. The big Drazi maintained an air of great dignity, walking straight and slow as an emperor on parade. Converts who confronted him froze in place and he reached out to squeeze their skulls into pulp at his leisure.

"I wish you could just jerk in the jerk," Talon grumbled impatiently.

"Every time I think to do it he blocks my powers," Malice complained.

"He's taking his time just to piss us off," Talon pointed out.

"Surely," Malice said, crossing her arms. Lancer tried launching herself at some looming Converts but Malice held her back. Finally Kain joined them at Malice's side. She put a bubble shield around them and stared down the hall.

Metal screamed - and the building peeled itself open like an unfolding flower. She made sure to coil the metal back on itself and crush the swarm of bodies behind the walls..

Talon laughed. "Just like a big ole' sardine can!" Then he caught sight of what was in the can and gaped.

"Oh...my...God..." Malice whispered.

The floor below them revealed at least one room left over from Transformer design. They floated over a huge, open area which contained at least two thousand Converts in a disconcerting rainbow of uniforms. On the far end at their current level was an observation deck with a few barely discernable figures inside.

The four of them faced a legion.

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART J


	10. Chapter 10

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART J

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART I

Optimus kept an eye on his partner even as he made careful note of everything both the children did. It wasn't a conscious thing, just his normal way of observing those around him.

The junior Prime performed alien chores without pause or concentration. Rodi cleaned up the dishes, changed Alex's diapers, put a bowl of popcorn on the table, and even cut Alex's toe nails, all with the fluid ease of long practice. He spoke to the contestants about their game, he made faces at Alex, but his eyes remained half-lidded and distant. Sometimes he would shake himself and look at them all directly, but shortly that distracted look would return. Once in a while, his right leg would bounce a rapid rhythm on the floor. Alex, sitting in his lap, seemed to appreciate the ride. She giggled furiously but Rodi didn't smile in return.

As much as Rodi enjoyed time with his children, there was somewhere else he'd rather be right now.

It made Optimus wonder if half the inattention that so irked the Senior at meetings was really Rodimus being unprofessional after all. Maybe instead it was split consciousness. How hard must it be to go about daily business, when half of your mind was off fighting for its life? Optimus looked into his mind and found a minor implant at the root of that misunderstanding. He killed it without comment, and noted even the headache wasn't bad. Just...there. Like the implant - barely noticeable. Insidious. In a way, it made him happy. Liking his partner just got that much easier.

"How's it going?" Optimus asked.

"Hmm?" Rodimus answered.

"How's the mission going?" Optimus prompted.

"The building's wrong. The blue-prints and scans show an old Autobot site, but the place is set up for humans. They are using...Jabez style construction," Rodimus said neutrally.

"What does that mean?"

"It means we are dealing with an operation sophisticated enough to fool the Maelstrom ...." Rodimus didn't finish that thought. Lancer's team had just come under attack. Alex fussed in his lap and Rodimus put her down without really noticing her.

Optimus noted Edana looking at her father over the rim of her protective glasses. It was a quick, subtle move - as if she didn't want to get caught doing it. Then she went back to idly playing with the game pieces, looking away from Rodi.

Optimus wondered what she'd seen with those pale, mutant eyes. He saw his partner grimacing with anger, and the rapid twitch of Rodi's pulse through the skin of his neck.

"Your turn Optimus Prime," Edana told him a bit fiercely.

The senior Prime looked at Rodimus' child as she stared at him intensely. For a moment he wondered if she was still too young to realize what was happening, but when he hesitated her pallid stare narrowed.

Intense, even a bit annoyed at him for stalling. This wasn't a request it was an order, and it had nothing to do with playing a game!

Why?

To keep up appearances.

What would happen if they didn't keep up appearances?

Rodimus would know she was worried about him and reading him with quick, furtive glances around the edge of her frames.

And then?

Rodi would move her to her shielded room to protect her but she wanted to stay where she could watch him.

For what seemed like the millionth time that week, Optimus felt a profound paradigm shift. Was this what her life was like? This child of his partner? Born of such parents and possessing more insight into their pain than they would ever willingly show the world? She duplicated Rodi's restless intelligence but was trapped in a shell not only for her own protection but for the safety of all of Cybertron...all of Earth. Her father's obsession with helping was there too, and enough spirit to equal either of them. At six she was sitting before him running a Rodi-style gambit of status-quo, and she was asking Optimus Prime to play along!

Optimus felt his chest clench. What should he do? Rolling the dice meant lying to Rodi. It meant leaving this child exposed to whatever made that leg bounce. On the other hand, Optimus could hardly think of anything more cruel than to lock a being with such fire away. It broke his heart. Her eyes narrowed even further and for once Optimus saw a lot of Lancer in her. Her pale irises didn't glow, but the effect was nearly the same.

Who side was he on? Both of course, but she was in fact, only six. He was about to betray her when Rodimus suddenly stiffened, and went white.

"Edana," he whispered, "Go to your room."

"What?! Why!"

"'Dana go now!" Rodimus growled, slamming one palm flat down on the table.

"I didn't do anything!" she yelled defiantly, stared at him in fury. Rodimus didn't answer and she suddenly gasped and ran from the room.

Optimus followed her with his eyes and then turned back to his partner. Rodimus was sweating, ashen, and clearly nowhere in this room. All implants and hard feelings forgotten, Optimus stood and grabbed Rodimus by the shoulders. He knew asking for updates was futile so he just stood behind his partner and held on.

x  
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x

"A word to the wise," Cyclonus purred. "It is foolish to make a great deal of noise when one is running a secretive mission, wouldn't you agree?"

Tocsin, who had the muzzle of Cyclonus' gun rammed all the way into the back of his mouth, nodded awkwardly.

The femme engineer next to Rivet stiffened. Her optics were not on the Decepticons or Tocsin - they were fused to the creche. Viper remained in snake form, winding her way through the legs of all the prisoners - a writhing living shackle. They were unbound, but Viper's lightning entrance proved to them they might as well be.

"You are lucky we found you first," Cyclonus went on. "The way you were shouting the next patrol would have found you for sure. Don't worry. We dispatched them and shoved them up into your landing gear."

" We can dump their bodies when we reach orbit. I'm sure the Junkions won't mind finding a bit of extra trash," Viper laughed.

"Of course, that also would apply to any of you who, shall we say, don't learn from your mistakes," Cyclonus purred even lower, tilting his head and smiling savagely at Tocsin.

Tocsin made some attempt to speak and then simply nodded again.

"Very good," Cyclonus approved. "Now, as there seems to be some dispute among you sissies, is the creche functional?"

Tocsin's optics widened and after a moment he shrugged.

One of the mech engineers spoke up. "We think so Decepticon, but it hasn't been tested."

The femme next to Rivet shifted, and Rivet turned to look at her. Viper turned her head slightly their direction but remained focused on the Cyclonus and Tocsin.

"So...is that why you're still here? To test it? To see if you missed any parts?" Cyclonus laughed derisively. "Well, you are in luck again you Paradronian sissies! We are leaving, and you are coming along as insurance. If something is missing, we will just have to find parts on Char. When are you scheduled to take off?" He took his gun out of Tocsin's mouth and rested it under his chin instead.

"About ten minutes," Tocsin spat, "And I'm not a sissy!"

The femme next to Rivet rushed towards the creche with her arms raised into fists. She made it two steps.

Viper's head seemed to disappear and there was the cracking sound of a whip as the air collapsed behind her motion. Nothing else on her body even moved as she lashed out and sunk her fangs into the neck of the defiant femme. This time, instead of a quick strike and release, Viper held on, her jaws working slightly as she pumped more and more venom in. The dead femme's partner screamed and cried as the motionless victim's head and torso began softening and collapsing in on themselves almost at once.

"Better a live sissy than a dead hero, Autobot," Cyclonus said grimly. "But just to show you how much I like your...bravado...I will let you pilot the ship."

x  
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x

The Maelstrom team was not having much fun.

They never took on forces of this size. They never took on more than they could scan in advance and chew. It was their unstated mission to be the proverbial thorn in the paw of the Jabez lion, pricking here, hampering there, hoping somehow to fester and render the beast lame.

This was different. This was an army assembled in the heart of Iacon. Right in the shadow of Central.

Two thousand Converts was a bit much for four of them, even if they did have two class ones on their side.

Floating over the neatly ranked rows of Converts in Malice's little bubble, they scanned their opponents as quickly as they could and waited for the whole thing to come at them at once.

It didn't...but a squad of eight, all dressed in teal jump-suits did. It moved in synch, stepping out of the gaudy rectangular formation beneath them. The small group stopped below them, waiting.

"Talon?" Malice asked. He had the scanner.

"They're all telekinetics, but none're past class five," Talon muttered.

The team looked at each other, or rather everyone but Lancer did. She fixated below them, growling. Malice and Talon shrugged at each other, and Kain had nothing better to add, so Malice lowered their bubble to the floor.

They waited nervously for something to come for them, but the only movement was Lancer. As soon as her feet hit the floor she pounced at the motionless teal squad and slammed herself into the wall of Malice's shield.

"Will you just hold her?" Talon complained as Lancer flipped herself over and crouched. "She's gonna do that till there's tweety birds going round her head."

"Right. Sorry," Malice said, adjusting her powers to hold Lancer by the tail. "Why are they just standing there?"

"Dunno," Talon answered.

"OK. Why are we just standing here?"

"Pagan says we destroyed her next jump point," Kain informed her grimly. "We must cross this room to be extracted."

"Oh. That fucking sucks," Talon said. "So do we just walk all casual-like and see if they cream us? Maybe I could toss a few grenades as we stroll by."

Kain's slitted eyes narrowed to slits. "There is another consciousness observing. I can't pin-point it, but it too is waiting to see what we will do. It is...curious." Suddenly his scales stood out from his body and his fins flared. "It is Jabez!"

"Oh shit! We are rats in a maze!" Talon cried.

Lancer's growls grew more guttural...and then the teal team moved, not with their hands, but with their powers. In spite of the fact they were all expecting something, anything, to happen, Malice was over-powered almost instantly. Her bubble shield shredded and she lost control over Lancer too. The TK squad was focused on Malice as their primary threat, but when Lancer reached them and started blasting and shredding she cut down two of their team.

This prompted the CV's to erect their own bubble shield that left her pounding uselessly on thin air.

"I don't understand!" Malice cried, as Talon desperately lobbed grenades as far into the rest of the silent army as he could throw. "No class five should be able to touch my shield!"

Kain strained to reach into the minds of their enemies. Converts' brains did still function to a degree...the memory and life support systems always remained intact, but the higher consciousness was always destroyed by Conversion. He couldn't touch the chips, they weren't alive, but he could reach into the living brains around them to read what was being demanded by the control chip. It was like translating foreign writing during a fire-fight but he got lots of practice.

"They are a unit!" he cried. "They are multiple minds networked on a master Conversion chip! Malice you are fighting a team!"

"Great," she spat as though cussing. She changed tactics. Picking up multiple chunks of wreckage from her grand entrance, Malice swirled them into an air-borne blender and whirled them in a controlled tornado against the enemy team's shield. She watched while some of the teal-unit turned towards her whirlwind and the rest remained focused on Lancer, who was now pounding them with power she was draining from the rest of the army.

It was hard for them to ever know how much the energy-shaper was actually thinking during these fights, she often couldn't remember herself, but no one was going to complain if she reduced the numbers of the rest of the forces to take on the one unit that faced them!

Nevertheless, their combined assault worked to a degree. The split attention of the teal team inside their shield, caused their shield to weaken. Malice forced her powers into the weakening bubble and burst it from within. Her shrapnel tornado ate up another teal TK, but they focused on the demon with the laser bolts. Malice gasped in horror and dropped her debris as they picked Lancer up off the ground and attempted to pull her apart.

Lancer screamed and writhed - suspended in mid air. This time though she was the fragile rope in an invisible tug-of-war. Neither her assassin's skills nor her powers made an iota of difference. She could only snarl and wait, paralyzed and enduring tidal forces of unseen power while Malice stood stock still, sweating and grimacing with strain.

Talon ran out of grenades and tried not to count the carnage he'd caused, or the vast numbers of un-activated converts who were unharmed. Kain said nothing. Did nothing.

Talon pulled out his laser rifle and set it on wide beam. He started sweeping the room, and toyed with swinging the gun just a wee bit too far to the right to take Kain down too. He found he couldn't look left - afraid he would see Lancer pulled apart like string cheese.

Minutes passed...Lancer started turning purple from lack of air. Suddenly Kain grunted, and one of the teal CV's just dropped dead. Malice shrieked in surprise and almost killed Lancer herself when the other side suddenly stopped resisting. The assassin gasped and flew backwards, landing in a heap at Malice's feet. She wheezed and coughed.

"What happened?" Talon cried.

"I found the CV with the control chip and killed it," Kain stated simply.

"Oh," Talon said. "Good idea."

Lancer grimaced and stood. "Malice..." she rasped, cutting her lips on her fangs to speak. "Raise me up!"

Malice didn't argue, and Lancer lifted up off the ground once more. Another team of CV's was activating and approaching, but Lancer wasn't looking for motion.

"Kain!" Lancer hissed, "Show me one of the hubs so I can find their wavelength!"

Kain was already scanning the next closest team, so it only took him a moment to comply. Lancer studied the web of that team and got the gist of their system. Once she understood what to look for reaching out with her powers she found the frequency of the control chips for every CV team in the room was easy. Here and there were smoldering craters of meat where Talon had tossed his grenades, but where there was life she saw energy connecting each unit like the heart of a flower connects to the petals. She started lancing, starting with any teams wearing teal!

x  
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x

Rodimus gasped and fell forward onto the table.

"Rodimus...?!" Optimus asked tentatively.

"Almost..." Rodimus answered. "Almost."

"We can mobilize...!"

"No! We can't! It's an army Optimus! Right here in Iacon! If they suspect we are involved with the Maelstrom they are clearly in a position to deal with us! I don't understand how we misjudged the place so badly but the Autobots can't help right now!"

"Rodimus! That's your mate in trouble there!"

"Doing what she has to do! Don't Optimus! Don't make it worse!"

"What's happening now?"

"They're running for their lives," Rodimus told him.

x  
x  
x

The fight dissolved into something the Maelstrom team was a lot more comfortable with. Utter chaos, running melees, lots of bodies hitting the ground. Much better than an entire army of breathing statues doing nothing but scare the crap out of you. Talon put more milage on his blaster, Lancer bounced around like a rabid weasel, Malice splattered dozens of bodies against the walls, floors, and ceilings, and even Kain was inspired to run in the long, loping strides of his species. A CV leapt at him from a pile of twitching corpses and he whirled, clubbing the Convert with his tail. The CV flew backwards and hit the wall, crushed through the abdomen.

Their opponents were still clad in team colors, but attacked now as individuals rather than units. Their assaults covered the kaleidoscope of human potential but the Maelstrom team had no intention of fighting them all. They were just trying to get their tails put of there.

Three pyros came at them from the left. Malice blocked. Lancer blasted. If the 6 telepaths had hit as a unit they might have all been goners, but Kain shielded his ship-mates easily and Talon did the rest. The floors started melting...Malice picked them all up again and flew them towards the jump point until Kain could ID the CV responsible.

It took them 15 minutes of bloody carnage to move the length of a football field and reach the doors at the far end. As they did a cold voice speaking English with an alien accent came over loud-speakers they didn't know were there.

"I suppose I should thank you," it said emotionlessly, over the repeated sound of a regular beep. "This demonstration is aborted, but you have found a weakness I might have otherwise missed. Very well then, adapting the control chips won't take long, and perhaps you will be so kind as to test those for me too."

"Jabez!" Lancer roared. "Jabez!"

"Forget it! You know he's out of here!" Talon told her. "Keep moving!"

Lancer fueled by her mate's traumatic memories and blood-lust at having even a faint shot at one of the Jabez, ignored him. If she could catch the alien he might have information that could end the war. If not, she had some scores to settle. The doors in front of her blew away with an over-zealous eruption of power and her claws scrambled over the wreckage, up the stairs, and down the hall she hoped led to the observation room overseeing the CV army. If there was ever a chance she might lay eyes on the Jabez, it was probably there. Her friends kept up, more to protect her than out of any hope of finding their foe still there. Pagan teleported in front of Lancer and nearly got a fatal blast for her trouble, but Lancer pulled the bolt back just before it turned Pagan into another fine example of Lancer's barbequed lizard flambe`.

"TK!" Pagan said.

"You should know better you idiot!" Lancer snarled. The aborted bolt surged up Lancer's arm and out her eyes instead, leveling the blast proof doors at the end of the hall.

"TK!" Pagan insisted, and followed Lancer's head strong sprint.

Skidding into the control room brought Lancer to a screeching halt. The Jabez stood there, over-long arms folded casually about its elbows. He was old, old, old if the wrinkles meant anything. Two other aliens of different species stood beside it, flanked by two impassive CV's each. One was green and slug-like, with a cruel, ravenous smile on it's swollen face. The other was skeletal, and reminded Lancer of a walking stick. The room boasted an impressive array of shiny buttons and screens, with Jabez pressure sensitive hexagons worked in.

It was the Jabez that froze Lancer though. Its inky eyes stared into hers and it might as well have had a telekinetic hold on her. Pinioned by Rodimus' memories, she paused for just a heartbeat, but it was long enough. By the time the massive blast she let out crossed the room all of them were gone.

"Fucking teleporters," Talon said. "Not you Scales," he amended hastily. Pagan glared at him.

Lancer stood at the center of the room, glowing and growling. Her hands clenched into fists that left her palms bleeding.

Talon tried to make light of things for her. "Girl, when you bring down the house you do a right number on things, but you musta missed something cause I still hear at least one gizmo beeping away!"

They all looked at each other.

"Self destruct?"

"It's been that kinda day."

"The jump point's down the hall!" Pagan roared. Turning and running back the way they'd come would have seemed like deja vu except the remnants of the abandoned CV army had caught up to them. Malice put up a floor to ceiling barrier and just pushed with all her remaining strength. It worked but cost them critical seconds. The beeping sped up and they all tackled Pagan when she yelled "HERE!"

x  
x  
x

The shuttle rocked and they all yelped in terror - all except Cyclonus and Viper anyway. Tocsin's optics widened in disbelief as a column of flame and smoke towered up into the skyline towards Iacon. Although some 50 miles away from Helix, Central was tall enough to be seen on the horizon. The explosion was taller, rising up into Cybertron's eternal twilight and spreading against the ceiling of the atmosphere. He'd seen it before the sound, but it wasn't until the boom rocked the shuttle that he understood what it was.

Instantly, sirens began wailing and voices began screeching over the com-lines.

"Emergency lock-down! Emergency lock-down! Seal the ports! No air traffic except authorized responders. Emergency lock-down! Emergency lock-down!"

"Was this part of your plan?" Cyclonus asked, unfazed.

"NO! Not mine!" Tocsin cried.

"Ah. A shame really. They will probably blame you for it," Cyclonus mused.

"It would be terribly tragic if they were to stop or search us now," Viper said. She wound her body around the pilot's chair and his legs. To make her point unnecessarily clear, she opened her jaws and bit him, briefly, at the groin. Then she slid down his legs and merely held his right foot in her mouth.

Shaking with terror, Tocsin gripped the controls and watched the sky. The instant he was sure all the flyers he could see were tearing off for Iacon, he launched the shuttle in a steep climb.

The tower squawked at him. "Shuttle Vermilion! Abort launch! Abort or you will be shot down! Acknowledge Vermilion! Abort or be shot down!"

Tocsin was no air jockey, but it was amazing what venom coated fangs against your foot could inspire. He dodged and jinked with erratic panic, causing the prisoners to squeal in fright, and Cyclonus to laugh that low, condescending chuckle. None of the bolts from Helix's defense systems hit them. Tocsin saw the con-trails of some of the flyers turning back towards Helix against the artificial sunset of the explosion. They were far though, and he started to think he might make a clean getaway.

Then one of the new watch-planes from Nightbeat's patrol units cut across their path. It was a buzz-by, meant to threaten, and Tocsin met optics with the pilot. It was Dynex - a mech he'd served with since Paradron.

Dynex's voice came over the com, "Tocsin! We are under security alert! There's been an attack in Iacon! All of us are supposed to be at stations!"

Tocsin frowned to himself. Did Dynex think him so incompetent as to have MISSED an explosion of that size? Viper's jaws worked against his foot, but he barely needed the threat to arm the weapons. Dynex's voice continued to cajole him into returning to port, even as Tocsin fired.

x  
x  
x

Rodimus blasted to his feet so suddenly it almost knocked his partner over. "Jabez!" he roared. "Jabez!"

Alex, who had been playing quite happily by herself, began screaming at the noise. Optimus got one look at Rodi's face and ran to pick her up. The young Prime looked quite ready to kill anything that moved. Rodimus panted as if from exertion, and sweat saturated his clothes.

Optimus couldn't stand it anymore, "Rodimus! What's going on?!"

Then the building rocked, sirens shrieked, and Rodimus Prime morphed as he fled the room.

Optimus took two steps after him and then stopped. He looked at Alex who continued to cry with her tiny hands shoved in her ears. He couldn't help. Whatever it was, he was in no place to do anything about it, but Rodi's kids...Rodi's kids couldn't be left alone.

The house com-line kicked on. "Will you be OK with the girls for a while?!" Rodimus asked, clearly in a panic.

"Only if you tell me what is happening!" Optimus snapped.

"The target blew and our side didn't do it! There was one of them there!" Rodimus ground out - there was so much rage in his voice it sounded like static.

"You aren't on duty!" Optimus reminded him.

There was a long pause. "Now I know you are just programed to argue with everything I do! Optimus! Do you really think we can have an explosion within view of Central without one of us showing our face? Do you really think I can let ANY explosion go un-investigated, let alone one with such... importance?"

Optimus paused. Now that was just plain, stupid truth. Change subject. "How's L?"

"Singed, safe, pissed off. Look...if you run into trouble call... Primus I don't have anyone for you to call...call Marissa! I'll be back just as soon as PR and security will allow! Maybe two hours!"

"Don't worry! I'm sure nothing I do will be fatal in two hours," Optimus said.

Rodimus snorted and didn't answer. Optimus could hear him shouting orders before the line went dead.

Edana's little, tear stained voice floated to him from her doorway. "C..can I come out now?"

x  
x  
x

Tocsin checked behind them one more time before easing off the throttle. He'd made the second jump gate with no pursuit, so they'd be much harder to track.

Cyclonus looked...satisfied, but it was Viper who transformed and rested her elbows sarcastically on Tocsin's knees. "My, my," she whispered with a sibilant turn of her head, "Such... enthusiasm. We only expected you to evade them, foolish Autobot. You will not receive any reward for killing your own."

"Traitor!"

Cyclonus turned on the seething mech who shouted. "You are all traitors now," he said. "No one will believe you didn't have a hand in that explosion."

Rivet cowered. She was certain Cyclonus was right.

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART K


	11. Chapter 11

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART K

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART J

Three hours later, Optimus heard the proximity alerts and scanners kick in. He had a book in his hand, Alex on one leg and Edana's head resting on his arm so he didn't get up when Rodimus stumbled in looking grey. At first he took the color change to mean low energon, but then realized most of it was ash.

Alex sneezed. Edana didn't move, although Optimus thought he saw her eyelids flicker.

Rodimus took in the sight of the three of them cuddled up on the couch and for a moment was intensely jealous. Then he kicked himself for that and worked on grateful instead. He morphed, causing a cloud of ash that hovered like a ghost of his body behind him. Then it cascaded down like soft grey snow. Rodimus frowned at the circle of powder on his floor, shrugged, wiped one hand uselessly on his pants, and ruffled Alex's curls. She sniffed him and sneezed again.

"I see you all made it," he said softly.

Optimus smiled. "You too."

Rodimus didn't answer his smile.

"Casualties?"

"Twenty six...most of them workers on our first school, which was also a casualty," Rodimus told him.

Optimus lowered his eyes. "Who's on duty now?"

"Your mate," Rodimus told him. "The public story is that she came off of vacation to give me a hand, which, by astounding coincidence, is the actual reason too."

"Status?"

"An utterly fucked up mess," Rodimus snarled. Edana frowned slightly in her sleep. Rodimus arched an eyebrow suspiciously and said "And if you tell Mom I said a bad word I will remind her she taught me to say it."

Edana opened one eye and failed not to look sly.

"Mini me," Rodimus sighed. "You were faking so we'd talk in front of you."

"Sorry," she said.

"Sorry you got caught, you mean," Rodimus answered, wagging one finger at her.

"Is Mom OK?" she asked.

"She's banged up again, but she's OK. She'll be down as soon as she's out of decon," Rodimus told her gently.

Edana sniffed, and Optimus gave her a one armed squeeze. She had been crying on and off on his shoulder in the few hours since Rodimus left. They hadn't talked much because he didn't know what to say to her, but she seemed to find a quiet story on the couch enough. Actually, he'd really found it a peaceful and healing feeling, looking after two little people simply because they were young, rather than on their way to war. He was incredibly sorry though, that war was touching them and molding them anyway.

Maybe he should have held that sorrow inside, but given Edana's sensitivity he felt it was useless...so instead he shared it with her. It might have been coincidence, but shortly after deciding not to hide his feelings from her, she fell asleep against his side.

"So can I stay and listen? I'm sorry I made you mad before," Edana asked.

"You didn't make me mad, but...."

The girl pulled out of Optimus' embrace and stood with her arms crossed over her chest. "But Mom almost died and you were scared I'd feel it," Edana stated bluntly. Rodimus paled and nodded. "I don't try to know those things but I do!" his daughter went on angrily. "I can't help it! Hiding in my room doesn't stop me from knowing it! Claudia says I have to be brave because I will always know things that scare me! Now you're sad! Quit being sad for me! Why is it bad that I'm trying to be brave?!"

"Edana, I...your Mom was really in trouble and I am not sorry I sent you to your room," Rodimus told her sternly. For an answer she stomped off, still with her hands tucked up into her armpits.

Rodimus smacked himself in the face and groaned. When he looked back up he caught Optimus biting his lip and failing to look sympathetic.

"Oh quit laughing. It's pathetic. This damned army I apparently can handle, but a six year old has me stumped," Rodimus complained. He threw himself down next to Optimus on the couch, landing in an extreme slouch with his hands crossed over his chest. He felt the couch tremble just a bit and poked his partner hard in the ribs. "I said quit laughing."

Optimus did his best, but his eyes crinkled anyway, "She's right you know."

Rodimus threw him a slant-eyed glare. "I almost lost Lancer tonight," he growled. "I almost felt her torn limb from limb. What if they had killed her? What do you think will happen to my mind the day she goes?" Do you seriously mean to tell me you think I should have let Edana be exposed to that?

Optimus sighed and shook his head, "No. No I don't think you did anything wrong tonight, but she is still right in general." This earned him another sullen glare, so Optimus forced his partner to sit up by handing him Alex. "Rodi...I am going to get myself in trouble because this is deep water, but I am watching you fight her destiny as hard as you fought your own. You lost your youth to this war, you knew too much pain and too much responsibility too young, and you fought all of it in vain. I know how much you love her and I know you'd happily die to keep the same thing from happening to her."

Rodimus started to argue but Optimus cut him off, "Please let me finish. You can't fight this. You are hurting her by trying. Don't make the same mistake I did."

"Optimus...."

"No...hear me out! I knew. I knew from the moment you were activated that the Matrix was yours. I deliberately avoided you. Did you realize that? You think I treated you like everyone else? I had as little contact with you as I could conceivably get away with. Told myself I was sheltering you. I dumped you on Magnus the instant your feet hit Earth, convinced I was doing the right thing for you. I figured, whenever you got the Matrix, you'd have your fill of me then. Think about it. Did I do you any favors by denying you guidance?"

"I was a newling! What do you think you should have done? Left me in charge for a week? Had me running Magnus' drill sessions? It would have been a joke!"

"No, but I could have made an effort to educate you. Think about your twin that you met in the other dimension. He knows he might inherit the Matrix and is preparing for it. You don't think that's a healthier option?"

"Yes, but Edana isn't going to inherit the Matrix," Rodimus growled.

"True, but she's your daughter. She is intelligent and restless and Rodi...she is brave. She is brave enough to fight you every step of the way to become whatever she is meant to become. Look at her....she is lying to you! She's trying to hide what she's feeling, she's pretending to be asleep so she can stay by your side, she's even trying to get me to help her spy on you. Is that the kind of relationship you want with her? Lies and counter-lies?"

"Well, no but...."

"But nothing. If she was a normal kid then maybe you could shield her for a while, and it is horrendously unfair that she's inherited your empathy...yes! Yours! She's going to explode, I promise you, like you would have exploded if I'd put you on a desk job. Believe me, I considered it. For your own good of course. It was the incident with Sunstreaker that changed my mind by the way. I decided if you were going to respond that way to a little hazing, then you'd tear down the base if I tried to shut you in."

Rodi looked the teeniest bit smug. "You knew?"

"Really now. Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Why didn't I end up in the brig?"

Optimus said nothing, but the couch trembled a bit.

"You thought it was funny! Optimus! I put paint remover in the wash! It could have been anybody who got it! It was a dangerous prank!" Rodimus was clearly indignant.

"Oh so you're sorry I didn't discipline you?" Optimus grinned.

"Well no, but if anyone did that now, I'd have them in detention for a week!" Rodi exclaimed.

"He deserved it," Optimus said.

"OP! That's terrible!"

Optimus cracked and just laughed. Rodimus stared at him, incredulous until Alex laughed too. Then he cracked up as well. When they finally settled down, Optimus tried one more sympathetic push for Edana's sake. "Rodimus, what would Lancer do if you told her to stop taking risks?"

"She'd kill me," Rodimus said instantly.

"And you think her daughter's going to stay in a cage her whole life?"

"Optimus, I do not intend to suppress her forever, but she's only six!" Rodimus insisted.

"Yes, but at six she's a class one empath. Rodi, that's just the way it is! She has access to more information about the people around her than most adults will gather in their lifetime! I suppose you have to ask yourself how you want her to think of you. Are your going to be the father who supports her, or the one who always tries to keep her down?"

x  
x  
x

Marissa sagged in relief. Both sleeping. Hurray! She let Magnus hold her up.

"Tired?" he asked her.

"Sure. You've had it easy all day. Shaking down Metroplex, tormenting reporters, listening to news reports of the mess your buddy is making on Cybertron. I've been stuck here with these two."

"Very sorry to have missed it all," Magnus said seriously.

"You should be. It's you fault. Kyle's got your...meticulous side," Marissa informed him.

"Don't you mean anal?" Magnus asked.

Marissa elbowed him. "Fine. Your word, not mine. Anal. I finally figured out why he fusses so much! If that boy's diaper isn't on perfectly straight he throws fits. He'd probably like it if I would iron them."

"He just likes things done properly," Magnus kidded. "If you would just be more careful...." He got another elbow before he got to finish.

"You know you big jerk, I've got a suitable challenge for you," Marissa said, grinning wickedly.

"Oh, this sounds ominous," Magnus grimaced.

"Oh it's something we've been putting off, but I think you just earned the ultimate horror," Marissa said, "even though it means I have to suffer too."

Magnus didn't answer, he just arched an eyebrow down at her.

"It is time," Marissa intoned, in a dreadful haunted house sort of voice, "to introduce your sons to YOUR side of the family!"

"You aren't funny," Magnus accused.

x  
x  
x

Spike went in to check on Carly at the new facility she was housed in on Earth. The room was a different color - soft green instead of beige, and the view from the window was blue sky and trees rather than Cybertronian architecture, but other than that it might as well have been the same room.

Spike was there to see to it his wife was being well cared for. Shellshock was there to torment the security guards and set up their own, hidden protection for Carly. Spike looked over everything. No soil in her clothes or bedding. No bed sores. She looked almost healthy. Her hair had been brushed, her nails were filed and even polished by someone. Maybe that same someone had been the kind person who sat her in the chair by the window before strapping her in.

He stood next to her and they looked out over the beautifully maintained gardens with a pond and a fountain for a while. There were ducks and ducklings waddling along. Splashes of white against the green grass.

Shellshock inspected the room from top to bottom behind them and glared suspiciously when a nurse came in. She smiled nervously at the big man and addressed Spike.

"Hello Ambassador Witwicky. Hello...um...Sir...Mr. Vortex. I'm Emma. Is everything the way she likes it? Is there anything we should do to make the room better for her?"

Spike frowned a bit, considering. He had never wondered about Carly's tastes at the old facility. It seemed irrelevant with a catatonic person. Looking around though, he found nothing that would have bothered his wife.

"You can bring her some family photos to hang up if you like," Emma told Spike seriously. She had apparently decided that if Shellshock wasn't going to talk to her, then she would respectfully pretend he wasn't there.

This gave Spike pause again. "Thank you. I'll do that," he said. With a sudden flash of insight he asked, "Are you the one who did her nails?"

Emma smiled. "Sure. I hope she likes it. I thought it was a nice color on her."

Spike smiled. "She wore something similar before she got... sick. I appreciate your attending her."

"Oh, it's nothing Ambassador. Every girl needs her nails done to feel like herself," Emma said. "There's nothing that makes you want to hide from the world like feeling like a slob."

Spike cocked his head at the nurse. "I never thought of that," he admitted.

"Well, no disrespect Ambassador Witwicky, but you're a man," Emma laughed.

Spike blinked, smiled ever so slightly, and said, "Call me Spike Emma."

Shellshock raised an eyebrow and went to sweep for bugs under the bed.

x  
x  
x

After every fight off ship the team went through decontamination on the Maelstrom. All of them got bloody to one degree or another and no one wanted to catch anything from the bodies they dismembered. Lancer had to floss. One of the rooms Robert had figured out how to use (for the most part) was designed to clean them inside and out with lasers that ran the length of their bodies and penetrated their tissues without hurting them. It was hardest for Lancer because she had to hold her powers in balance for the ship's lasers to actually work over her cells rather than simply be absorbed by her metabolism.

Hardest for her, but usually not much slower because she had done it so many times it usually only took a minute or two longer than the others.

Not today. She was so upset by seeing a Jabez on Cybertron she kept surging and disrupting the whole process. The normal fifteen minute procedure took nearly an hour because they had to keep starting over. Robert ground his teeth in exasperation.

Once finished, Pagan teleported her, still in all her gear, back down to Cybertron. The Maelstrom remained in orbit over their burning target, scanning the ashes for clues even as the Autobot's first responders did.

The crater went down four levels.

"Tell Rodi Iacon's starting to look like Swiss cheese with all the holes recently," Robert told Lancer right before they left. She whirled on him and snarled.

"Rob, sometimes you are a real moron," Malice noted. They were all bruised and disgusted, but Lancer was black and blue from head to toe and her left arm was hooked loosely into her belt. The shoulder had given way on her during the last few minutes of the fight when they were fighting towards the teleport point. Sometimes it was just better to leave her alone.

In this case, Pagan thought perhaps Lancer on Cybertron was better than Lancer on Maelstrom, and the mutant found herself in her mate's quarters with no warning whatsoever. Pagan teleported back just as fast.

Rodimus was already standing, but Optimus and Edana were startled out of their second round of Monopoly.

"Hello Lancer," Optimus said.

She didn't exactly snarl but she bared her fangs at him.

"Sorry!" Optimus exclaimed.

Rodimus glared at his partner and shook his head. "Go sit down," he said to Lancer. "Edana? You know where the ice is."

She grinned and nodded, scrambling to the kitchen.

"Get a bowl while you're in there," Rodimus called to her.

"Big or little?"

"Big," Rodi said. He took his mate by the waist and steered her to the table. "Sit." She complied, but held her body almost rigid as she did.

Optimus got up and watched from the livingroom threshold. It was an interesting procedure, not unlike watching Ratchet work his magic on damaged circuits. Rodi flopped a large, soft freezer bag over Lancer's shoulder. Then he started at the bottom of Lancer's braid by taking the metal clamp-bead off the end and untying the wire wrapped around her hair underneath. Once the ends were free he worked his way up, unwinding wire and removing beads as he went and placing them in Edana's bowl. Once in a while a small needle or knife would go the other way onto the table.

Unable to resist, Optimus gingerly sat down across from Lancer so he could play with the solid steel beads Rodimus was removing one at a time. He was surprised by the weight of them when usually he thought of them as tiny, harmless things. She could kill him with this simple steel orb, he realized, and again felt he was learning what it was to be organic.

Edana stared at her mother until the horns came down a bit and the glowing eyes turned to stare back. Rodimus finally reached the top of the braid.

"We forgot a brush," he complained dramatically.

"You always forget the brush," Edana informed him, "And I always remember!" She handed him one that had been sticking plainly out of her pocket since he told her she could wait up for Lancer.

"You're too smart," he told her.

"You knew I had it the whole time," Edana said. "You're teasing me!"

"Teasing you makes me happy," Rodimus informed her pompously.

"Whatever," Edana said.

"Late," Lancer said. Her voice still sounded metallic.

Optimus observed neither Rodi or Edana moved to answer her. They seemed to be waiting for something, so he waited too, and listened to the brush moving steadily through Lancer's hair. Finally, the mutant sighed and her taut body sagged a bit.

Rodimus smiled slightly. "You ready?" he asked softly.

Lancer nodded and rested her right hand on the table. Rodimus put one hand under her left armpit and one on her shoulder blade. He pushed up and forward and Optimus flinched at the resulting snap. Lancer hissed and blanched.

"Ouch," Optimus said for her, noting that Rodimus was frowning more deeply. He ran his hands over her shoulder again and repeated the move. The second "pop" was less pronounced but Lancer bared her teeth and growled sharply. Then she relaxed and reached up to touch Rodi's hand for a moment. The white light her eyes emanated reduced enough to reveal her irises.

Rodimus probed around the shoulder once more and shook his head. "It's still shifting. Everything is swollen. Lancer you are going to have to get this thing fixed. We can't put if off anymore, it feels like a water balloon!"

Lancer's response was to elbow her mate.

"It's late," she said in a more normal voice.

"Uh-huh. We can argue about your arm later then. I told your daughter she could stay up to say goodnight to you," Rodimus sighed.

"I'm glad you're OK, Mom," Edana said seriously.

"Me too. Were you good tonight?" Lancer asked.

"Mostly," Edana said honestly.

"Uh-huh. Were they good tonight?" Lancer asked, indicating the men.

"No," Edana tattled. "They fight about the dumbest things Mom! And Daddy lies a lot." Lancer grinned and the last of her demonic aspects finally disappeared.

"Hey! Traitor!" Rodimus cried. Optimus chuckled, and his partner turned on him. "You know she's ratting you out too."

"She's doing no such thing," Optimus laughed.

"How do you figure that?" Rodimus grinned.

"Well...there is the mind link with Lancer, so I suspect your daughter knows better than to falsify known facts."

"Hmm..." Rodimus said, rubbing his chin as if deeply considering. "I hadn't thought of that."

"See Mom? He tells stories all the time," Edana smirked.

"Ah...so would you like him to tell you one before you crash?" Lancer smiled. Apparently that was code for "run and get ready for bed as fast as possible," because Edana moved as if launched. Rodi caught her abandoned chair before it fell.

"Yours," Lancer said firmly, pointing at her mate. Rodi grinned, bowed, and went off to supervise critical operations involving soap and toothpaste. This left Lancer and Optimus Prime alone and looking at each other, something Optimus realized with a start hadn't happened since Lancer was speared.

It seemed so long ago.

"Your...your arm still isn't fixed properly is it?"

The mutant cocked an eyebrow at him and smiled a bit. He was always so smooth when he was struggling for things to say. "It's not as bad as it seems. He just worries," she said.

"Lancer, I know very little about human medicine, but I do know my partner does not have time to worry about things that are not worth the trouble. He doesn't have room in his life for that. Besides, if it is giving out on missions you are putting your team-mates at risk," Optimus chided. An old tactic, to focus her attention on her team-mates, that he used as instinctively as he would if he had been speaking to so many of his people. Ironhide, Magnus, her mate...they all needed to be reminded sometimes that their own health was important to the people around them too.

Lancer grinned at him. "Nice try, but my friends are practical people, not heroes. If I go down during a fight they will leave me and they won't look back."

"I don't believe you," Optimus informed her. "Besides, this is just...unacceptable. Even if you were simply an ally, I would demand better care for you. We should contact Dr. Winston to have another look at that arm."

Lancer's brow furrowed in consternation. "Optimus...Dr. Winston is dead."

"What?!"

"He was murdered years ago! You really don't remember do you? He was lobbying the UN for funding for updating medical facilities to handle mutant patients. I...I think dealing with me vaporizing the sheets and shorting the equipment really inspired him. He was scheduled to address the whole UN, but someone got to him and Converted him. The speech the CV gave caused them to cut funding and up regulations limiting how much money hospitals can spend on 'special needs' patients."

Optimus gaped, frowned, and looked vaguely inward. "I sort of remember. That wasn't long after Rodi and I...after we brought Springer and Arcee onto the council. Why would Vector Sigma make me forget that?"

Lancer gave him a one-sided shrug. "I don't know. Maybe because he meant so much to Rodi and me. Maybe because what he was trying for meant a lot to us too. It doesn't matter. I can't be out of action right now anyway."

"If you are waiting for a good time to take off, you can forget it. Believe me...it's never a good time!"

There was some kind of rhythmic crash from the other room. Optimus started. Lancer just sighed and smiled a bit.

He looked at her askance and she grinned. "Bouncing on the bed is mandatory before story."

"Ah...I see. She is an...energetic child," Optimus mused diplomatically.

"Oh indeed she is, but most of that noise is her father," Lancer said.

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART L


	12. Chapter 12

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART L

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART K

Tocsin landed the shuttle far less skillfully than his surging take-off. His hands shook from an odd combination of surges and energy depletion.

Almost all of his fellow prisoners were dead and Tocsin was very, very interested in not joining them. Viper and Cyclonus were having some kind of conflict over it too. Cyclonus strode back on-board and narrowed his optics when he saw the new corpse.

"What's your excuse this time Viper?"

"He moved to attack me!" the serpent hissed.

Cyclonus crossed his arms and said nothing, but he stared into Viper's snake-form face until she ducked her head and coiled up. Tocsin looked at Scopic's melting remains and knew Cyclonus was right to be suspicious. Scopic was a true Paradronian and had suffered none of the degradation of his beliefs that so many Paradronians had living on Cybertron. A dedicated pacifist, Scopic was as likely to go after Viper as he was to inherit the Matrix. Tocsin doubted even Meter's murder could have shaken Scopic's inane moral compass.

It had been a very long trip, and Meter's murder had been the first of Viper's questionable victims.

Once they were out of Autobot territory, Cyclonus had gone to each prisoner, asking their name and occupation. He seemed to be taking mental notes - nodding to himself and smiling over certain skills. Tocsin's impression was that the Decepticon second was already deciding where to put those skills to use. Slaves. He was counting them as slaves.

Viper had her own agenda apparently. Starting with Scopic's mate Meter, one by one the femmes all died due to some "escape attempt" or "attack" on the snake. All but Rivet. Viper had whirled and stared at the terrified Bot femme the instant she'd told Cyclonus she had some medical training and knew something about working the creches. Tocsin didn't know if Rivet's training spared her, or if Viper was merely having a hard time finding an excuse to kill her. As soon as Cyclonus was done questioning her, Rivet had curled up in a corner with her head behind her knees and her arms wrapped around herself. After that, not a sound or a twitch. Just like she did when she'd done something stupid at home.

Tocsin felt no sympathy for his mate's cowardice, but he made note of her survival as he tried to find a way to save his own life. Cowering in a corner might work for her for a while, but it was not an option for a decorated hero like himself.

In any case, Cyclonus might have to swallow some of Viper's thin excuses for the other deaths, but certainly even Viper saw that imagining sparkless little Rivet going on the offensive was too blatant a lie.

Tocsin did make note though, that seeing Rivet curled up that way made him long to mate with her even more than usual, even though this time he wasn't the cause. His optics kept straying towards her, and he had to force himself to concentrate on his own survival. Viper turned her head towards him and flicked a long, forked tongue his direction. Her optics narrowed. Could a snake smile? Apparently they could.

Bidder and Specs were the last of the other survivors. Coincidence that they knew the most about assembling the Creche? Tocsin doubted it. Cyclonus might see potential in all of them, but Viper was only interested in a working creche. That told Tocsin she was thinking of breeding. As one of the Cons only femmes, that made sense, but it also made Tocsin wonder why he was still on-line. Sure he was piloting, but with Cyclonus or even the other prisoners around, they certainly didn't need him for that. He decided Viper was the one he had to convince if he was to live another day.

As they approached Char, Cyclonus went back out to fly escort and lead Tocsin to where they were going. That was when Viper killed Scopic and left Tocsin so shaken he could hardly land the ship. Cyclonus confronted the unrepentant femme and seemed ready to discipline her the minute they landed.

"It is true," Tocsin interjected, even as Viper retreated. "Scopic lunged at her."

Cyclonus turned on him and glared with flaring scarlet optics. As with Viper, he said nothing, but Tocsin felt interrogated nonetheless. He didn't flinch though, or even hear the gasps and muttered curses of the Autobots.

Viper's head rose up off her coils and she turned her cobra's head to peer at him with one optic.

Tocsin went on without pause. He pointed at Bidder and Specs. "As soon as you left the ship Cyclonus, they all were talking about jumping her together."

"We did no such thing!" Bidder cried in panic. It didn't matter. Viper's head was already moving.

x  
x  
x

"Will I get to stay here tomorrow?" Edana asked. She sat on the edge of her bed in dark blue pajamas. She matched the walls with the clouds painted on them and looked very elfin to Optimus while he watched her parents try again to tuck her in.

"In the evening," Lancer told her. "Aunt Claudia will watch you while Daddy's on duty."

"Are we going to stay for a while?" was the next, wistful query.

"At least until we are done looking at the building that blew up today," Lancer told her with a faint growl.

Edana nodded. "Will Uncle Optimus still be here?"

"Yup," Rodi told her. "He's stuck with me on human training until I say he's ready. Are you still gonna help?"

"Yes!"

"Oh good! You won't be helpful if you're tired and cranky though," Rodimus reminded her.

"You're just trying to get me to sleep," Edana accused.

"Oh...so you don't get cranky when you're tired?" Rodimus asked. "Hmm...I thought for sure that it was you. Must be that other girl named Edana that I know...."

"You're telling stories again," Edana claimed.

"You're still stalling," Rodimus rejoined. "Helping or not?"

"Helping," Edana sighed.

"Good. Say goodnight," Rodimus said.

An impish smile crossed the girl's face and the next thing Optimus knew she was airborne. Obviously he was expected to catch her like her father did. Surprise might have stalled his limbs, but Optimus Prime did not let little red-headed girls down, even if they did come falling through the air at him like some sort of deranged baby bird. The "attack" ended with a smothering hug and a small kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear. He gave her a squeeze and gained a lot of insight into human contact with their young. He spent a lot of his time helping people, but their gratitude had rarely been palpable as this.

Rodimus once again looked skyward and Lancer shook her head,

"Yours," she said to her mate.

"You taught her that move," Rodimus defended himself.

"You think it's funny when she's hyper," Lancer said, "and she knows it! You! Devil-child! Butt in bed now or your day tomorrow involves Uncle Talon's laundry, not a sleep over at Daddy's."

Optimus found himself feeling suddenly defensive, but he got another whisper.

"She doesn't mean it," Edana told him.

"Be good anyway," Optimus said. "Just in case. It sounds like a terrible fate."

Edana wrinkled her nose. "Uncle Talon's socks really stink."

"Bed!" Lancer said.

Edana squirmed free of Optimus' long arms and gave her mother a serious hug and kiss. "I'm glad you didn't get hurt too bad this time," she said sadly. "Love you Mom." Then hopped back to bed for another long goodnight with her father, and under the sheets. Her eyes were closed and she was snoring lightly before they made it to the door.

Rodimus and Lancer looked at each other.

"If you think we won't check to see if you're spying from the doorway, you're nuts Small Child," Lancer said. "And if I even THINK you've been up I'm giving you to Kain to clean his incense burners."

The snores stopped. "You wouldn't," Edana said.

Lancer put her hands on her hips and dropped her head to one side. Edana read her mother's attitude. She sighed, pouted just a bit, and lay back down with a frown.

"Uh-huh,' Lancer said. As soon as the door was shut she elbowed her snickering mate in the ribs. "You are no help at all."

"I can't help it," Rodimus grinned. "She's funny."

Optimus nodded, "I'm with Rodimus on that one!"

"Hallelujah! They agree on something!" Lancer cried.

They both looked almost nervous over that remark and then the three of them went to discuss the ramifications of a Jabez installation in Iacon.

x  
x  
x

Next morning:

Optimus woke up to the sounds of muffled conversation and the sounds of plates in the kitchen. He was tired. He and Rodimus had sat up long after Lancer dozed off, talking over what Lancer's team had found, what they thought it might mean, and what they might do about it. Lots of speculation and debate that amounted to basically nothing. Unless something profound had been discovered by the salvage teams over-night, the explosion had left them with no hard evidence to work with.

Still, Optimus felt good about the conversation. Fruitless though it was in combating their enemies, he and Rodi had made it through without acting like enemies. It almost reminded Optimus of their early partnership...except perhaps the exhausted, bruised mutant snoring against Rodi's side, and the whole "squishy now" aspect.

Edana's giggles sounded smothered.

Lancer whispered, "Shhh...Optimus is trying to sleep."

"He's up Mom," Edana said with assurance.

Lancer poked her head around the kitchen wall and confirmed. She was wearing navy blue sweat pants and a tank top which did nothing to hide random purple bruises criss-crossed by white scars. Her hair was unbraided and a bit out of control. Optimus smiled a bit nervously at her and waved slightly. She rolled her eyes and glared at her giggling daughter. "I told you to keep it down."

"He woke up all by himself," Edana said. Edana had a terminal case of bed-head. The silky strands of long red hair snarled around her head like an alien sea urchin.

Optimus nodded and sat up. "Don't worry about it Lancer. I find sleeping to be a very... restorative form of rest. Where's Rodimus?"

"I told him I'd let him sleep until you woke up. I know you guys had a lot to go over, but I wish he'd gotten more down time before his shift today," Lancer said with a frown.

"Daddy stayed up past his bedtime?" Edana asked. "Now he's gonna be cranky."

"That's all part of my plan to make the Autobots appreciate Optimus when he gets back," Rodimus yawned. The young Prime was also wearing sweat pants, but his were black, and he tied back his hair as he walked. "Is Madness still in bed?"

"Yeah, you want to feed these people and let me get her up, or do you want to get her?" Lancer asked.

"Oh I'll feed these two, and let you get howled at this morning," Rodimus smirked. "I'm sure I will get plenty of howls today on shift. Trading complications, breeding restrictions, and oh yeah! That new decorative hole in Iacon!"

"Coward," Lancer said.

"Right," Rodimus agreed. "Come on Op, time for plain pancakes."

Alex did howl when Lancer woke her, but was soon lashed into her high-chair and cheerfully eating cereal with her fingers. Lancer helped Rodi with stirring and pouring, but also held a towel in her tail which occasionally whisked over the baby's face. Rodi poured a small bit of batter into the pan in some kind of design, then poured a larger circle of it over the pattern he made. He waited a few moments, then flipped the pancake high into the air to turn it. When it was done it flipped again from the stove to Edana's plate.

She showed it to Optimus. There was a smiley face cooked into the pancake. She poured syrup all over it and ate it from the edges inward so that the smile lasted longer. Optimus got a pancake too, but no syrup and no smile. He wondered briefly if he was being slighted and then shook his head. He was sick of himself taking everything as an insult. Surely the last thing on Rodi's mind at this moment was making silly pictures out of pancakes for his partner!

Indeed Rodimus seemed more interested in flirting with his mate. It was a small kitchen, but there seemed to be a lot of accidental bumping into each other, and a lot of small kisses to make up for it. Optimus wondered what it would be like when Elita joined him soon and suddenly missed her intensely. Then he felt guilty again. He and Elita could call each other whenever and had only been apart these few days.

Edana glanced at him, frowned at her parents and told him, "They're being good because you're here. Usually they're worse with the mushy stuff."

"Eat your breakfast Traitor," Rodi told her. "Uncle Jazz will be here soon and he'll steal your food." She looked alarmed and began eating most seriously. "That goes for you too Optimus-sir. Jazz respects no rank where food is involved."

Optimus arched an eyebrow at his partner and complied. He was enjoying this meal too, although he wondered what he was missing with the syrup. Then he noticed Lancer using her tail to refill a mug of coffee. Taking note of how busy they both were with the girls, he decided to help himself. The drink from the day before was the high point of his human experience so far. He got up, found a mug in the cabinet, served himself and went after the "sweetener" with gusto. He got engrossed with adding and tasting again, but he realized suddenly all the noise in the room had stopped.

Lancer and Rodimus were staring at him. Rodi's eyes were bright green with no visible pupil. Edana was staring at them over the rim of her lenses with widening eyes. She waved her hand at him as if to stop him.

"Optimus," Rodimus said in that flat voice that heralded doom, "What are you doing?"

"Um...having coffee?" Optimus said very quietly. What had he done wrong now?

Rodimus leaned forward with a very huge, very false smile and gritted teeth. "I was, was I not, very, very clear about you not having caffeine and sugar, right?"

"Yes, but...." Optimus said.

"SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT COFFEE IN YOUR HAND?!"

"What does that have to do with caffeine and sugar?!" Optimus wanted to know.

"Exactly what do you think you're scooping in there?! What do you think coffee is for!?" Lancer was looking only slightly less furious than her mate. The horns were only half way up.

"But Jazz called this sweetener! We had this yesterday right after you left!"

"Jazz," Rodimus intoned.

"Yes! He taught me how to do this. Why are you so upset?!"

"Optimus," Lancer told him, "Coffee is an addictive stimulant because it is full of caffeine....and you are adding ridiculous amounts of sugar to it."

"Is Optimus Prime in trouble?" Edana asked, sounding distressed.

Rodimus shook his head vigorously. "No. No. He didn't know any better. Uncle Jazz is in big trouble though. Uncle Jazz is facing court-martial. I'm pressing charges this time!"

"Rodimus! You can't be serious!" Optimus protested. He and Jazz had spent such a wonderful day reminiscing and enjoying themselves.

"He is no better than Talon with his booze!" Rodimus hissed. "We have barely got your brain stable and he's throwing mind altering drugs into your system! He's been defying orders a lot lately but this is risking your life!"

"But!" Optimus cried...then he paused, thinking back on the moments Jazz had been showing this to him.

"No buts! Damn it! We need him, but he's going in the damned brig!" Rodimus shouted. He slammed his fist down on the table.

"NO!" Alex shrieked. She clamped her hands over her ears and cried louder than the noise over the noise.

Rodimus eyed his youngest. "Apparently the mutiny around here is contagious. "

"Rodimus! It is! That is NOT like Jazz!" Optimus insisted. "That is not like JAZZ!"

Rodimus' head snapped back around and Optimus reached across the table and put his hand over the clenched fist.

"It isn't like Jazz," Rodimus muttered. If anything his face grew angrier. "I'm starting to be very sorry I didn't kill that piece of..." he glanced at Edana and clamped his lips together for a second. "I'm sorry I didn't kill it more slowly."

"I don't think that sentiment is healthier for your daughters than the cuss words," Lancer sighed.

"Sigma messed with Jazz too," Rodimus growled.

"And Elita...I don't think I told you she found a few implants. Most of them involved forgetting to help you or to stand up for our partnership," Optimus whispered.

"I never told you how sloppy Jazz's been getting. Even before KC died. Showing up late...showing up without things we needed. None of it blatant...but given how tight my missions need to be, it could have been fatal. Crap! I can't even be mad at him!" Rodimus groaned.

"How will we break it to him?" Optimus wanted to know.

"Oh that's easy," Rodimus said.

"It is?"

"Sure. I'm gonna let you do it," Rodimus grinned.

Optimus frowned, "You aren't really funny you know." It was fine that they laughed at him, because they decided he'd been OK the day before and let him finish his coffee.

CONTINUED in: The Ties that Bind: PART M


	13. Chapter 13

Maelstrom Chapter 39  
The Ties that Bind

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

The Ties that Bind: PART M

CONTINUED FROM: The Ties that Bind: PART L

Rivet and Tocsin were forced off the Vermillion in shackles. They found themselves in a large cavern that was being used as a warehouse. The hot winds of Char blasted them on their way in and continued to howl as they were marched inside. Dust from the planet's injured crust swirled in grey eddies by the mouth of the cave. Rivet had surged herself almost into stasis lock. Her hues were greyish and her optics stared blankly ahead of her. Ordered into a rough rock corner she sat without seeming to hear or see. Tocsin watched.

Cyclonus and Viper were joined by Galvatron and Soundwave. They obviously didn't trust the prisoners to move the creche, so even Galvatron helped lift and set it on the floor of the warehouse. Tocsin took in crates of goods from various worlds and a moderate stack of energon. He curled one lip scornfully. Obviously the Cons were making raids that the command staff was either unaware of or was keeping secret. Either way, that made them incompetent.

Soundwave inspected the creche, and Viper paced around as he did so. Finally, the taciturn communications specialist pronounced the device "operational."

"Does that mean it is functioning properly?" Cyclonus asked.

"Unknown," Soundwave responded. "There is no data for comparison."

"It will be fine," Viper hissed fiercely.

Tocsin smiled inwardly and called out. "When are you due?"

Viper's head whirled on him, but it was a sign of her distraction and anxiety that she answered him. "Six days."

Rivet's head snapped up.

x  
x  
x

Jazz came into Rodi's quarters on time and in a good mood. Yesterday had been the most fun he'd had since KC di...in ages. He cooed at the little scene of family bliss he walked in on. Edana and Alex were playing on the floor, Optimus was sitting in the arm chair with a mug, and Rodimus was brushing Lancer's hair. They were both sitting somewhat awkwardly on the couch with their bodies turned so he could reach the back of her head.

"All you guys need is a puppy and a kitten and you'll be all set," Jazz noted.

Edana's face lit up. "Yeah!"

Rodimus frowned at his mate's head, grabbed one hair, yanked it, and set the long strand on the coffee table. There was a small heap of them there already. "Quit giving my kid ideas," he ordered. "Now my Specialist... your job for the day is to figure out what's wrong with this picture of domestic bliss before I get home tonight."

"OO...Rod-man...man of mystery," Jazz smirked.

Rodimus shot him an odd look and pulled fiercely at another of Lancer's hairs. "Ouch!" she cried, and then sighed.

"Sorry Love," Rodimus said. He seemed in no hurry to quit brushing. It made Optimus wonder what his partner found enjoyable there since there was apparently more going on than the obvious necessity of grooming.

"You'd better wrap it up Love," Lancer said. "You're gonna be late." Rodimus nodded and the long errant locks suddenly disappeared into Lancer's familiar disciplined braid. Curious as always, Optimus reached over and picked up one of the long, rejected hairs Rodimus had piled on the coffee table. He toyed with it idly, making the expected comparisons to the wires and cables he was more familiar with. Rodi frowned at him slightly, but Optimus was pleased to see it wasn't an angry glare. Instead his partner seemed perplexed by Op's curiosity.

Optimus smiled to himself. Progress could be measured in odd ways.

Rodimus capped off Lancer's braid, grabbed the rest of the hairs off the table, and held out his hand for Optimus' toy. The senior Prime handed it over with some reluctance. He didn't argue though. Instead he watched Rodi forcefully toss the hairs away.

Lancer arched an eyebrow at Optimus' expression and took mercy on his confusion. "The grey ones piss him off," she explained with a chuckle.

Optimus' ducked his head just a bit and frowned to himself. Thoughtfully he watched Rodimus give his daughters long hugs, his mate an even longer kiss, and morph.

Alex howled in protest and Jazz picked her up, laughing. "His paint job scares me too Little Lady," the specialist told her.

Lancer chuckled and laid one hand on her mate's metal leg. A white glow passed from her hand into his body.

"Thanks for breakfast, Love. Op, be good. Jazz! Be VERY good! Girls, be rotten and I'll see you all later," Rodimus said.

'Have fun," Jazz told him.

"Try not to kill anyone," Optimus quipped.

"No promises," Rodimus snorted. He left.

Lancer scooped Alex out of Jazz's arms, took Edana's hand, smiled a bit sardonically, and said, "Bye boys!"

"Hey!" Optimus cried, but he was too late. Pagan teleported in, touched Lancer's shoulder, and just like that, they were gone.

Jazz sagged, disappointed. "They could have let us say goodbye to the kids at least," he sighed.

Optimus shook his head. "I think she wanted Edana out of range."

"Out of range of what?" Jazz asked, hands on hips.

"Sit down Jazz," Optimus said compassionately. "I have something I have to tell you."

x  
x  
x

Rodimus spent most of his day convincing reporters and officials that the explosion had not been an attack at all, but some untapped energon stash left over from the old wars hidden many levels down. It had grown unstable with time, he claimed, and the construction of the new school set it off. Awful as it all was, he emphasized how lucky they were it had exploded before the school opened.

Elita spent her day helping him and fighting the urge to pester him for updates on her mate.

Despite Rodi's calming claims of an accident, there were still reports speculating the explosion might have had more to do with a rogue shuttle pilot that had murdered several law enforcement officers. Investigations into "Tocsin's" activities turned up several other missing people and lost inventory from their places of employment. All of it added up to most of a creche, leading to even more debates and controversy over the breeding queue.

On Earth, Spike was asked to weigh in on that a few times, but most of his efforts were aimed at bullying one country after another to accept the new Autobot security measures or give up their shipping contracts. They all grumbled, they all hated him for it, and he was pleased to point out that despite the new rules their profits were surely going up. Calling them whiners to their faces was the best part of his new resolve to be an intolerable bastard.

Tocsin and Rivet learned to speak only when spoken to and organized the secret warehouse to include a private nursery.

Arcee, Springer, and Magnus worked overtime to get Metroplex ready to do without them for a day or so.

Optimus spent the day distracting himself by reorganizing all the cabinets and drawers in Rodi's kitchen. Then he physically climbed up onto Rodi's workstation and sorted digipads, working up quite a sweat as he did. He tried not to disturb Jazz too much, and left the specialist sitting numbly on the couch, staring into space. Optimus had seen Jazz through many different trials before, and he knew the specialist's current feelings were unfounded. Still, the senior Prime understood the shame, violation and humiliation on Jazz's face only too well and decided to let them run their course.

Perceptor studied Matrix crystals in general and Ratchet's in particular, while Ratchet felt his consciousness dividing again and again while it considered numerous possibilities for the crystals as well.

x  
x  
x

In another quadrant, an old, withered Jabez felt tired and decided to make arrangements to have his mind shifted to a new, younger cloned body before taking on the bugs in his new networked CV project. He knew it would set him back a few years. It always took a while to fully integrate into a new shell. Until then his research would have to wait or it would surely be flawed. Still against the hundreds of millions of years of his long, protracted life, a few years was nothing of a wait. It was best to get it over with - he had already used this body longer than most of his contemporaries would have dared.

They feared death so much.

He was glad to have waited though and viewed the hurry of his peers with scorn. They had all been cloned and restored to youth thousands of times, but he had always let his bodies fall into extreme age before switching out. It meant he had, over the course of the eons, been cloned and restored hundreds of times less than his compatriots. It was obvious to him their thought processes and personalities were far more degraded than his own. Some could not even remember their original lives on their lost world. Most could not remember emotion either.

He did. He didn't have emotion of course, but he remembered it. Emotions were lost after the first few clonings. It wasn't a loss to be sure. What mattered was the quality of their research was waning. Innovation was waning. The queens were accepting ever more flimsy projects as adequate for breeding rights, and the rare Youngers those matings produced reflected their sub-standard heritage.

Yes. It was time for a new form. The CV network project would be easily fixed when he was ready, and his impatient Sponsors would pay even as they grumbled over the delay. Then he would surely be first for the season's mating rounds. He would have his pick of the queens, and a fresh body to enjoy it all.

x  
x  
x

Rodimus came home late and exhausted. He wished his quarters were empty of all distractions, but at least Optimus was quiet. Magnus had been demanding when awake, and a machine-gun snore factory when asleep. Jazz...Jazz had made noise trying to stand still.

Tonight Rodimus wanted quiet. Today had been too much noise, too much chaos, too many demanding voices and chores. Tonight no news, no music, no noise. Somewhere deep down the last remnants of Hot Rod wondered how it had all come to this.

Rodimus contemplated his day of medical workers and architects, reporters and disgruntled UN diplomats enraged by the new security measures, investigators and rescue workers from the bomb site enraged by lack of security, and of course, the usual Prime crap. He told Hot Rod to shove it.

He opened his "public" quarters, found all the lights on, heard voices, drew his weapon instantly and fired.

The laser bolt turned and hit a graceful shadow, and his optics flared in shock.

"It's a good thing I know you," Lancer said, her exo-suit glowing slightly from absorbing his blast. "Give me that gun before you hurt someone."

"Wha...?" Rodimus managed.

Jazz in robot form was sitting on his "public" desk and playing with his RPM center model. Springer was right next to the Specialist. They both had identical stunned expressions on their faces.

"I take it you didn't warn him we were here?" Springer asked Lancer with raised brows. Behind them Rodimus could see the doors to his private quarters were standing open, revealing more voices and bodies beyond. Elita poked her head out, weapon drawn, then she ducked back in and Rodi heard her laughing and telling someone he was home.

"No...I wanted to see how he handled it. Remedial training tomorrow Love! Nice job!" Lancer snorted, glaring and smiling at him simultaneously.

"Wha...?!" Rodimus said.

"Oh wow....someone get that boy a cube!" Springer cried. "His processor's crashing!"

"He's had a day," Lancer smiled.

There was a high pitched, giggling squeal from the private rooms and Rodi jumped again.

"What? What's going on?" Rodimus asked a bit angrily.

"Oo! A sentence!" Lancer grinned unsympathetically. She deactivated her suit. "Op called a get together and I came to help him with the munchies! You are late."

"Get together?" Rodimus asked with a hint of desperation.

"Yeah..." Springer said, "I think this's gonna take some getting used to."

Rodimus merely looked confused and a bit dazed, but he finally got the hint from Lancer's fists-on-hips pose and morphed down to kiss her. He felt anger rising. His partner should have asked before holding a party in HIS quarters. Inexplicably Lancer sent firm disagreement and pushed him into the shielded rooms.

Rodimus heard his eldest daughter shriek and braced for impact, but instead of the expected thud of her landing on him all he got was a breeze. She raced right past him in hot pursuit of a golden streak. The two racing forms disappeared into Edana's room, and Arcee yelled.

"Solstice! Stay OFF the bed this time!"

"It can't get any more broken!" a young voice protested.

"I don't care!" Arcee insisted. She arched a optic at Rodi, "Sorry Rodimus. She's too heavy to bounce on beds."

"I already told you not to worry about it," Lancer chuckled. "She wouldn't have tried if Edana hadn't suggested it!"

Rodimus didn't even really register that whole conversation. He was taking in the rest of the room. Elita was sitting at his desk, with Optimus sitting ON the desk in front of her. The size discrepancy did nothing to change their body language as they enjoyed each other's company, although Rodi did notice they both tracked his entrance without really turning to look at him. Marissa and Magnus had taken over the couch and their survival gear for the twins had claimed the coffee table and the floor around them. Alex was standing on the armrest next to Marissa and watching her feed one of the babies with intense scrutiny. Magnus held his other son and watched Alex watching Marissa somewhat suspiciously. Springer and Jazz wandered back in and Rodimus was keenly aware of how crowded his private sanctuary had suddenly become.

He eyed his partner, who was casually, carefully not looking at him. Optimus sat on Rodi's desk, legs dangling off the edge, sort of surrounded by Elita's arms as she leaned on one elbow chatting with her mate. Yelling up to the desk seemed sort of pointless, so Rodimus morphed back up.

"Was this your idea Optimus?" Rodimus asked. He was able to plaster the same smile on his face he had right before blasting at the Sories. Somehow though, Rodi didn't think Op would be duped.

"It was," Optimus said, in a smug, completely self assured tone.

"I see.... You know, going over many rude things I've done in my life, I don't believe I ever offered up your home for a party without asking first."

"He asked me you over-charged motor head! As I have been trying to get through to your stubborn brain since you got here!" Lancer snapped up at him. "You are so tired you are ignoring telepathic information!"

"Why did you agree then? You know I'm tired more than anyone!" Rodimus glared down at his unrepentant mate.

"Because he has compelling reasons, and he's cute," Lancer grinned. "AND because of all the Primes in this room, he's being the least of a dickhead."

Rodimus sighed and softened just slightly, "You aren't funny," he remarked.

"Uh-huh I am," Lancer said. "Tell him Optimus since he isn't listening to me even when I send things directly to his brain."

"Gives hard headed a whole new meaning," Magnus remarked to Kyle, who he was holding.

Optimus smiled but he met Rodi's optics with grief in his own, "I thought the damage was all about you and me, but it's all of us Rodimus. We don't...we don't even know each other anymore. How can we spot what's out of character when we don't even know what's IN character. Yesterday Jazz deliberately went against orders and our first assumption was he was being insubordinate!"

Rodimus threw a glance Jazz's way, but the Specialist was staring at the floor. Springer patted his back.

"It wasn't your fault Jazz," Rodimus whispered.

"I know, but I feel like I shoulda caught it anyhow," Jazz confessed, still not looking up. "I...I think I was supposed to murder you Man...and I just... went with it."

"We need this Rodimus!" Optimus said. "We need...time together that won't trigger the implants! Time to get to know each other outside of the council chamber and the war. We've all got implants, they are going to keep cropping up, and we need to be able to look at each other and spot Vector Sigma in our actions. This...was the best I could think of."

"Besides," Arcee said, "We got to introduce our offspring to each other...and I think it might be a good thing...except for the furniture. They've really hit it off Rodi!"

"I did notice I'm being snubbed tonight," Rodimus mused.

"So you concede it was a good thing?" Optimus asked.

"Hmpph," Rodimus said. "Maybe," he drawled, but his optics gleamed. For the first time in a very long time, he absolutely agreed with something Optimus had done.

"Liar!" Lancer ratted, "He does, Optimus."

Rodimus finally broke - he laughed. "I'm surrounded by traitors," he grinned. "Speaking of which... Hey Edana! Do I get like a hello or something today?"

There was a sudden silence in the next room and suddenly the red/gold streak reappeared - this time with the red in front. Rodimus morphed just in time to meet his daughter before she plowed into him.

"Daddy!" she crowed, spreading her wings and flying at him. "This is the best day of my life! LOOK! I found my friend!"

He hugged her and whispered into her ear, "Yeah honey. Me too."


End file.
